Into the West
by AWritersMuse
Summary: "I had always dreamed of adventure, but never in a million years did I think I would actually embark on one. Did I mention that it's in an entirely different world?" Curious and lonely, Evelyn Wolf decides to take the road less traveled by, one day, on a hiking trip. But strange things happen as she ventures into the west. And it did make all the difference. Kili/OC
1. The Road Less Traveled By

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

The greenery of the forest blurs at my sides. My legs pump faster, faster; my arms propelling me through the trees.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. _

It becomes a chant in my head. My chest aches and burns with the build up of acid. Everything in me is screaming to stop as my breath becomes more and more labored.

_Just a little further. Almost there_...

My eyes catch the familiar blue chalk scribbled on the base of a large tree and I feel almost immediate relief as I slow my rapid sprint, leaning against the rough bark. I glance down at the black athletic watch wrapped around my wrist and press the "finish" button, already very proud of the numbers frozen on the screen: 18:42.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Sweat is dripping down my forehead and my back, stinging my heated skin. I have to say, I'm beyond satisified with my time. It took me the longest time just to break twenty minutes a month ago, but I trained hard and long, not that there is anything else I can do. Life, for me, has been exceptionally lonely these past few years. It seems all I ever have is time; time to waste, time to do anything and everything I can possibly do. To some, it may sound incredibly appealing, but too much time can drive one mad. I would know.

I allow myself to rest for ten minutes before stretching a bit and, eventually, I start the three and a half mile walk back to the house. If there is any place I'm happy to live, it's here. My entire backyard is a vast forest, not a neighbor for miles. It's peaceful, solitary, albeit a bit too solitary at times, but I have grown used to it. I know this forest like the back of my hand, every tree, every pond, every stream. On nights that my dad wasn't home (which were and are still quite often) I would pack a bag of supplies, a tent, and camp out in the one of the many clearings that littered the forest. It was fun, I felt like I was on an adventure, like the ones I read about in books. I always wanted to go on my own adventure, visit lands I've only ever dreamed about, fight off villainous pirates and explore the world.

I sigh loudly. Only in my dreams will I live out my dying wish. The break in the trees comes into my view and I begin a light jog out of the forest and towards the large white house standing proudly, but, may I say, completely out of place in the rural setting. I debate on going inside and taking a shower; however, my eye catches a quiver of brightly colored arrows leaning against the paneled backside of the house. A grin spreads across my face. It has been quite a while since I've picked up my bow. It is a rather heavy thing, very mechanical and complicated looking, but it is much easier for me to actually precisely hit the target than using a traditional bow.

The first time I thought about picking up archery, I felt a little...embarrassed. I mean, I am living in the twenty-first century, the time period where taking up archery as a sport is closely akin to LARPing on weekend evenings (which I don't do, just so you know; I'm not _that_ weird). But then I thought, whose going to see? It's not like I have many friends considering I was home schooled for the first eighteen years of my life. I attended the local community college for the next two years, learning quickly that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life nor do I have any idea now.

I am currently an almost twenty year old woman still living at home and dreaming of things that will never, ever, come true. What a life it is.

Some may call me a loser. I prefer the term misguided introvert. But let's not bother with formalities. The truth is, I am a lonely girl who craves action and excitement. Let's face it though, nothing exciting ever happens to me. Unless you want to call making record time in a 5k race only consisting of one runner exciting.

God, I sound pathetic.

With a shake of my head, I draw an arrow and skillfully place it on the string of the bow, swiftly bringing it to the side of my face. I aim, I breathe, I fire. The whizzing sound of the arrow cutting through the air lasts only a second before the tip embeds itself smack dab in the middle of the bulls eye. And, of course, I smile in victory.

For the next hour, I shoot every arrow I own until the target and the ground surrounding it is littered with multicolored feathers and black sticks. The wind picks up a bit, freezing my arms that are completely bare due to the t-shirt I'm sporting. The chilly November air is crisp, my favorite atmosphere of the year. I always loved the transition from fall to winter. More importantly, I always loved hiking during this time. Which is why I quickly decide that maybe another hike today would be lovely.

I shower first and allow my long, dark hair to air dry while I grab a backpack and stuff everything I need inside. Considering, my dad is gone again (surprise, surprise), and I've always hated sleeping in this big house alone, I hesitantly debate on whether or not I want to bring along the tent. I mean, it's not as though I have anything to do or anywhere to be for the next few days as my job is less than remotely demanding. I'm lucky if I get three shifts a week at that damn convenience store, but it's not like it really bothers me that much.

Why not? It could give me a chance to venture a bit further west, a section that I am not as familiar with as the rest. I bring along toiletries and snacks, making sure that I do not over pack in any way as a heavy backpack is not very fun to lug around on intense hiking trips. I dress warmly, leggings under skinny jeans under slim, athletic pants, an Under Armour shirt under a thermal sweater under a rain resistant, black North Face coat. It may seem a bit excessive, but from what I saw on the weather channel, the temperature is supposed to drop to at least twenty-five tonight. No snow, hopefully, if I'm lucky.

After doubling up on socks and throwing on a hat, I lace up my hiking boots, slip on my gloves, and I'm out the door. It is a bit colder than I expected it and darker, much darker. Nevertheless, I venture into the forest, all the while ignoring the slight inclination that something was off. I can't quite put my finger on it, but my stomach feels weird, anxious. I feel very anxious. Waving it off, I continue along through the path I have walked more times than I can count until I get to the fork in the road where I kept to the left, going deeper and deeper into the darkening forest.

Almost two hours of me walking and the anxiousness would not disappear. If anything, it becomes stronger. The woods feel different this time. It's almost as if I'm being watched. By what, I don't know. And it is really creeping me out. Maybe I should go back, try again another day...yeah, I'll do that. The thought of sleeping here tonight is not settling well with me at all. Which is weird because I have never felt this before. Never once have I felt scared in these woods.

Just as I'm about to turn around, the wind picks up speed. And I mean really picks up. My hair is blowing wildly around my face making it hard to see. The sky darkens so quickly it seems as though the light was just...switched off. The branches of the trees crack and shake. The dried leaves scatter across the ground, some whipping me in the face or tangling in my hair. I don't know what is happening and it is _freaking me out_. I feel like I'm in a scene of Harry Potter or something.

That's when I hear the growl, low and feral. My head whips around to find the source, expecting to see a panther or a mountain lion appear from the shadows, but my eyes see nothing. Only darkness. Slowly, I back away from the noise, hoping that it is just my imagination playing tricks on me. I'm scared. People hear and see things all the time that aren't real when they're scared. It only makes sense.

Apparently that isn't the case for me at this moment because I hear the growl again. And it is _loud_. It rumbles lowly through the air, almost blending into the haunting moan of the wind and I waste no time in running as fast as my legs can possibly go. More growls fill the air along with the ear splitting whistle of the wind. My heart is thumping against my chest, my legs are burning, and all I see in front of me is a never ending void of darkness. I feel as though I'm suffocating, as the road stretches before my eyes like in those nightmares where the hallway gets longer the more you run down it. It's terrifying.

I'm running so fast without looking at the ground and the next thing I know, I'm face planting into the dirt ground. But I don't even bother to get up. All I can do is wrap my arms around my head and block out the frightening noises that sound throughout the forest. I don't know how long I stayed like that, curled up on the ground, hands covering my ears, and eyes tightly shut. My body is cramping and my mind begins to drift off. It's not sleepiness that is taking hold of me. It's almost as if I had been shot with a sedative, my body just shutting down without my consent.

I'm almost about to lose consciousness. Almost. But as quickly as the feeling came, it leaves, and all is silent. I make no move to get up, too afraid of seeing something I'd rather not see. Ten minutes go by before the muffled sound of footsteps gradually approach me, stopping only a few feet from my huddled form.

Do I see who it is? What if it's a serial killer? What do I do? Hop up and make another run for it?

All of my questions die down at the sound of an old, grumbling, yet comforting voice.

"Excuse me, my lady, but may I ask what you are doing?"


	2. Fifty Shades of Grey

My eyes snap open and I hastily stand up from my fetal position only to look upon the most odd looking man I have ever seen. He towers over me, long, grey robes hanging off of him with a matching hat. His hair and beard are long and white, touched with a bit of grey. All in all, this guy is the walking definition of Fifty Shades of Grey, except for the brown staff he holds in his right hand. It takes me a minute before I realize that I am openly gawking at this freakishly tall man.

"I-uh-I-I have...no idea," I choke out lamely. The man raises his eyebrow and I quickly attempt to explain further. "I mean, I was walking through the forest and it got dark and the wind was blowing really hard and there were growls and the next thing I know I'm on the ground waiting for it all to end before I heard your footsteps. And now we're here..."

Wow, I really have a knack for explaining things. Just as I figured, the man looks even more confused than before. He's silent as he studies me up and down, assessing me. It made me feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

"Strange; I've never seen a female dwarf in these parts for many years. Especially a beardless one." Say what now?

"Dwarf?" I let out as I scrunch my nose. "I can assure you I'm not a dwarf. I'm actually quite tall for a woman-" I stop short as I look down at myself and notice one incredibly weird thing: My clothes grew on me. My pants are bunched up at the ends whereas before, they were actually a bit short on me. Not to mention the fact that the sleeves of my coat are now hanging well past my hands. What in the hell happened?

"Okay, either my clothes grew or I shrunk," I say, slightly panicked. I look up to the man to see him with the same confused expression on his face. It's then that I notice that even his eyes are a light grey color. I wonder if he dresses like this on purpose...

"Yes, very strange, indeed," he mumbles. "Say, what is your name, my dear?"

"Evelyn. Evelyn Wolf. And you are?"

"I am Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey," he answers with a kind smile. What is up with this guy and the color grey?

Hmm, Gandalf...It sounds so familiar. Wait. Gandalf, wizard, Lord of the Rings. Oh my God.

"Do-do you mean to tell me that I'm-I'm in Middle Earth?" I ask shakily. Dear God, this has to be a dream.

"Of course, miss Wolf. Where else did you think you were?"

"Uh, not in Middle Earth?" This cannot be real. I have to dreaming. Without thinking, I take my thumb and index finger and pinch the skin of my hand as hard as possible and to my dismay, it hurt like hell. "This, this is actually happening."

"What is happening?" I look up to the wizard again.

"You have to understand, Gandalf. I'm not from here. I think my clothes are a good indication of that. I have no clue as to how I got here, but this is...not...normal." I try to sound as calm and collected as I could manage, but when you find out you were somehow transported to a world that should only be a fairy tale, well, I think you can imagine how exactly I'm feeling on the inside.

"I see," Gandalf says. "I'm sorry to say I have no idea how you were brought here nor do I have any knowledge on how to get you back, but I can help you find lodging if you so need it."

Wait, get back? Do I want to go back? I mean, this is crazy, absolutely and totally insane, but this is the most exciting thing to ever happen to me. I'm in a different world! Granted, I'm in a world I thought only existed in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, but another world nonetheless. Come to think of it, I've only ever read the first book of the trilogy, but that was almost ten years ago. I hardly remember anything from it. Still, this is actually happening and it still seems impossible, but this could be the answer to my dreams. This could be the adventure I had wished so hard for; my big break. Like hell I would give it up.

"Well Gandalf, sir, I have to say, I don't really have any interest in getting back, but lodging would be incredibly helpful."

"By all means, come with me then. I'm actually headed for the town of Bree at the present time. There are certain people I am meant to meet with there within the next few days. I know of an inn that you could stay the night in and assess your situation."

"Thank you very much, Gandalf. I very much appreciate this," I say with a smile. Gandalf looks down at me with his own warm smile, but in his eyes, I see a hint of...apprehension. I can't imagine it's for me, maybe something else is bothering him. Maybe it has to do with these people he's meeting with...

"Well, let us walk," he says quickly, pointing in the opposite direction from which I'm standing. For the next half an hour or so, Gandalf and I make small conversation. It mainly consists of him asking about the world I come from and me trying to explain as best as I could so that he would understand.

"You're an archer, you say?" he asks as I describe the activities I do in the forest that surrounds my home. Not that it is really my home anymore considering I'm in an entirely different dimension.

"Yes, sir!" I answer proudly. "Although, I've only been practicing for five years now, so I'm not exactly an expert, but I'm not bad by any means."

"Are you skilled with any other weaponry?"

"What, like swords and stuff?" Gandalf only continues to look at me, his eyebrows scrunching up a bit, no doubt at my "peculiar" way of speaking. "No. I can't say I've ever handled a sword before. I tried throwing knives once, but it's a lot harder than I thought. I'm pretty good with hand to hand combat, although I'm sure that is probably the least used fighting style here." I say the last part a little quieter, remembering exactly where I am and what I imagine the lifestyles of people here to be.

"Well, it is certainly useful," Gandalf states encouragingly. "Fighting, no matter what type, is always a useful skill whether it is hand to hand or with a bow and arrow."

"Forgive me if I sound a bit, I don't know, _strange_, but I've always been curious as to what it would be like to actually use a bow and arrow as a form of combat. I'm not saying that I wish myself to be in danger, but I have always dreamed of adventure and living life, dare I say, recklessly. If you call exploring and fighting off evil reckless, that is." I turned my head to look at Gandalf to see him staring at me, slightly bewildered.

"You really are a peculiar thing, miss Wolf," he says with amusement before looking forward again. "There is nothing strange about your dreams. In fact, adventure may come to you sooner than you expect." There was a mischievous glint in his eye and something in his words seemed to leave a silent hint. A hint to what, I don't know. But I'm certainly going to find out.

"Gandalf?" The wizard hums in response, turning his head once more to look at me. "Why did you think I was a dwarf?"

"Well, you are quite short, exactly the size as many other dwarves I've seen, maybe smaller."

What? Me, small? I've always prided myself at being quite tall for a woman of my age. I was 5'9'', most of my height taken up by my legs. I look down at my figure and, to my relief, I see none of my bodily proportions have changed, only the height. My legs still take up a good amount of my body and I am also incredibly thankful that I hadn't grown larger in any way if you know what I mean. My hair rests at my hips now, whereas it is supposed to be just at my waist line. I won't complain about that one though. I've been trying to grow my hair to that point for years now.

"I don't understand, though. Back home, I was almost six feet in height. How is it that I got shorter?" Gandalf seems to think about this for a while before he can answer.

"I really cannot say, Evelyn. Perhaps, whatever magic brought you here, changed your appearance to fit in with the new world or fit into whatever destiny lay ahead of you. You were brought here for a reason, no doubt. I'm sure there is a reason for you changing form as well."

Both of us fell into comfortable silence as I thought about what he said. Could I really have been brought here for a reason? What if it was one single purpose and as soon as it is over, I go back home? The thought saddened me a little. Going back home did not seem like a very appealing idea at the moment. There's nothing for me back there. I have nothing.

"Ah! Here we are!" Gandalf's sudden exclamation breaks me out of my deep thinking and I lift up my head to see a large wooden fence. Over it, I could make out rooftops and chimneys, a few with smoke rising into the air.

"Welcome to Bree, miss Wolf."


	3. The Chronicles of Middle Earth

"Thank you, Gandalf. This really means a lot to me," I say to the grey wizard. I am currently standing in front of an old wooden door that is peeling at the edges. Downstairs, the bar is already filled to the maximum with grimy old men, drinking and eating their life away. Gandalf had been kind enough to pay for my stay here for the night and even gave me a few coins (apparently that's the currency here) so that I could buy food.

"Oh, it's no matter," he replied.

"I guess you'll be leaving then? You seem to have quite the busy schedule." I feel a little disappointed. This man helped me out greatly and I wasn't sure I really wanted to part with the only somewhat familiar person here. What am I going to do on my own?

"Yes, yes, quite the busy schedule indeed. But, my dear Evelyn, do not forget what I told you. Adventure will come much sooner than you think." That mischievous glint came back into his eyes and his words fill me with excitement and hope. I nod my head and smile before opening the door to my room. It's small, but it's not like I was expecting a suite of some sort. The floor is the same hue as the door, a dull grey holding up only a bed, a night stand, and a small fireplace on the left wall. Cozy is the word I would use to describe it, home-y.

I turn around to, once again, thank Gandalf for his help, but he's gone. Frowning, I look down either side of the hallway to see absolutely no sign of him. Strange.

But he is a wizard, so maybe it's not so strange after all.

The first thing I decide to do is figure out my clothing situation. I was smart enough to bring along a first aid kit in my bag which holds a small pair of scissors and string in case I needed it. I unlace my boots which had become a couple of sizes too big for me much to my displeasure. These boots were really expensive and very good quality. Maybe if I stuck some cloth up in the front... I'll deal with that later I suppose.

I shed off all three layers of pants and begin to cut off the access fabric. Normally, I would have rolled them up, but it's better to have lighter clothing and not weigh yourself down by any means. The athletic pants I left alone. They are thick and warm and could do me a lot of good in the colder weather. I do the same with the sleeves of my Under Armour shirt and the thermal sweater, rolling up the sleeves of my coat instead as it is a North Face and I'd rather not try to hack off the thick fabric.

The weather outside is warm enough where it isn't really necessary for me to wear all three layers so I pull on the jeans and my sweater before realizing that I will most likely stick out like a sore thumb if I go outside. I had already received enough strange looks walking next to Gandalf on the way here, but all by myself in a rowdy town like this?

I kicked at the black athletic pants lying on the floor, the familiar jingle of coins sounding through the room. The currency here is completely foreign to me, so I have no inclination as to what certain things may cost. Gandalf had given me two gold coins and several silver ones. Gold is pretty valuable, right? So maybe it's used for more expensive things. I should have enough to buy a new set of clothing to allow myself to blend in better, but I'm afraid of getting jipped. You never know, one could take advantage of my ignorance and charge everything I have for something as measly as a shirt.

I take the coins out from my pants pocket and place them in the small crossover pouch that had been stashed at the bottom of my backpack. It's incredibly small and brown so hopefully it will blend in a little better than my jeans and sweater. In an effort to make my hiking boots fit, I stuff the two extra pairs of socks I brought with me into each shoe so more space is filled up. It works a bit, though it's still slightly uncomfortable. I shrug. There's really nothing I can do about it unless I want to go outside barefoot.

Gathering up the courage to go out there and face the many confused faces of these native people, I grab the key to my room, shut the door behind me, and lock it. Just as I turn, I completely smack into someone's backside.

"Oh goodness, me!" a feminine voice exclaims.

"I'm so sorry, m'am," I immediately apologize. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

I look up to the face of a somewhat young looking woman, probably around her late twenties. Her hair is black and wildly curly, the top half pulled back from her face.

"It's quite alright," she appeases. "Say, you're the young She-Dwarf who was accompanying the grey wizard!"

"Uh, yeah," I say a bit awkwardly. "That would be me." I don't think I will get used to people calling me a dwarf anytime soon...

"Are you finding your room to your liking?" she asks.

"Yes, it's lovely." The woman smiles at my answer before looking down at the rest of me.

"What on earth are you wearing? I didn't realize that dwarves had such...interesting clothing."

"Uh, well, yes, you see, that's what I am trying to fix right now. I understand my clothing is a bit different so I wanted to go out into town and find some decent travel clothes. I don't suppose you know of any places I could look at?" The woman raises her eyebrows, curiosity brimming in her bright blue eyes.

"Well, there is a small shop right next to the food market that sells a fair few selections of clothing. Do you mean to tell me you're traveling on your own?"

"I'm not really sure yet. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm going to be doing. Taking it one step at a time, I guess." The woman continues to stare at me with a calculating look, much like Gandalf had done earlier today.

"Are you sure you're a dwarf?" she asks suddenly. "Forgive me for being blunt, but you don't look at all like a dwarf. You haven't even got a beard."

A beard? Does she think I'm a man or something? No, she couldn't have considering she called me a She-Dwarf not two minutes ago. And then earlier, Gandalf had said something about me being a "beardless female dwarf." Do female dwarves have beards? I quickly try to come up with a response so as not to cause suspicion with my lack of knowledge. But, alas, me being me, I come out with a brilliant, "It's, uh, a, uh, condition."

That's the best I could come up with? Really? She doesn't seem very convinced because she's still giving me that look.

"I have to say, I've never met or seen such a pretty female dwarf. Especially one with eyes quite like yours." I blush at her hidden compliment. Obviously, me being the reclusive person I am, I never really had anyone call me pretty, besides my mom. I don't think I'm ugly at all, I know I'm not. I just found myself to be rather...plain.

I could give her the "eye" thing though. See, I am one of the rare cases born with two different colored eyes; one, bright blue and the other, a dark green. It's an incredibly noticeable contrast and a feature I always loved along with my height (which I no longer have now so we can rule that one out). I tried to research the cause behind it, but half the terms used in these explanations I found online were much to complicated for me to understand. I gave up quickly after that.

"Yeah...I guess I'm just different," I say to the woman simply. She nods her head in agreement and offers me another smile.

"Well, I wish you luck and if there is anything you need at all, my name is Matilda, and I'll be happy to help, miss..."

"Evelyn. My name is Evelyn."

"Miss Evelyn," she repeats with a grin. "A lovely name for a lovely woman."

"Thank you, Matilda. I can definitely say the same for you."

"Oh," she blushes with a wave of her hand. I watch Matilda walk down the hallway and open the door at the very end before I make my way downstairs and out of the inn. Just as I suspected, the town is bustling with people and carriages. It's quite...surreal to see so many horses walking along the street as well as the overall atmosphere of this place. I realize, now, that I am in a very similar situation as the Pevensie children from The Chronicles of Narnia. Only, they were able to simply walk through a wardrobe. I had to endure the most terrifying storm of my life to get here. How acutely unfair.

I shake my head and continue on with the task at hand. Matilda had said the clothing shop was right next to the food market, so I walk down a ways and scan the streets for any form of farm stand. The sight of some leafy greens catches my eye to the left. I waste no time is hijacking it over towards the stand, searching for the shop. It took me almost ten minutes to locate it. The windows of these places obviously aren't lit up so I really had to squint to see what was hanging up in the displays.

It took me _thirty_ minutes just to settle on a pair of pants that, no doubt, I would have to cut so they would fit properly. The money issue had me a bit stumped, but the man running the place was patient and kind, thank the Lord, and calmly helped me figure out the worth of each object I picked up. In the end, I only ended up losing three silver pieces, which seemed fair enough to me. I'm beyond thankful that I've only managed to deal with pleasant people so far, but I'm not stupid enough to think everyone here will be like that.

The day sweeps by pretty fast. By the time I make it back to the inn-which, I just realize is called The Prancing Pony-darkness has already fallen upon the sky, thousands of stars twinkling and gleaming in the black abyss. It's breathtaking, even from the small glimpse I am getting from looking over the top of the building.

The lower level of the inn is a madhouse as I walk in. Men sloppily gulp from their mugs, laughing with giddy drunken stupor. The noise is near deafening; I'm surprised that people can actually hold conversations in here and I swear I see the beginnings of a fight brewing in the corner...

"Ooff!" For the second time in one day, I slam right into someone.

"Oi, sorry miss." I felt a hand hold onto my shoulder to steady me and look up to see a...man? Dwarf? He is only an inch or two taller than me, lengthy blonde hair and a rather interesting looking beard. His other hand is holding onto a tankard of ale.

"No, no," I rush out. "It was my fault. You're fine." I can see that this guy is giving me a strange look, not that I haven't already received a fair share of those today. The fact that I am right in the center of an incredibly busy bar where I can very well be trampled on considering I'm no taller than a fourth grader now, and the fact that I am receiving yet another puzzled stare, is causing me to become increasingly uncomfortable. So I run. I quickly remove myself from the man's hold and rush towards the stairs.

Once, I'm safely in my room, I allow myself to breathe. Truth be told, me and large crowds, we do not mix. Especially rowdy, drunken, male crowds. Another deep breath, and I move to sit down on the small bed, beginning to look through the clothing I bought. They seem sturdy enough and obviously they will help me to look the part of a traveler. Gandalf's words from earlier float to the front of my mind, "Adventure will come sooner than you think." I hope he's right. Otherwise, coming here would have been useless. I'm hoping the theory of me being brought here for a reason is also correct. I mean, why else would I come here other than to partake in something important?

With those thoughts in mind, I neatly stack my clothing on the floor and climb under the covers, attempting to get a good night's rest before I, hopefully, start my long awaited adventure.

* * *

><p><strong>So this is my first Hobbit fanfic so please let me know what you think of it! I should be fair and warn you though, I'm pretty sporadic when it comes to updating. Right now I'm on a kick so I'm posting pretty frequently, but who knows when I'll crash? If I do end up taking longer and longer to update please feel free to yell at me, because most likely it's not because I'm busy, it's because I'm lazy. Trust me, I'll need the extra push. <strong>

**Thank you and enjoy! (: **


	4. A Very Disney Fairy Tale

I'm abruptly woken up the next morning to the sound of loud knocking on my door. Who the hell could it possibly be? Colorful words fall from my yawning mouth as I stumble out of bed, realizing quickly that I have no pants on. My muttering is prolonged while I shove my legs in the athletic pants that were lying on the floor.

"Coming!" I yell out when the knocking continues. I open the door and immediately a smile comes to my face. "Gandalf! What brings you here?"

"Good morning, Evelyn. It appears that I have quite the opportunity for you, that is, if you are willing?" I'm nodding my head vehemently even before he finishes.

"Absolutely. What is this opportunity?"

"All in good time," the wizard replies. "First, you must gather your things and meet me outside. I shall explain everything to you on the way." I nod once again in compliance, turning towards my belongings and deciding on what to put on. Considering how warm it was yesterday, I switch the athletic pants for my thick sports leggings and keep the thermal sweater on as it is long, the hem reaching my knees. I had managed to find a pair of leather slip-on boots at the shop, ones that actually fit me, thank God, so I pulled those on over my feet.

Shoving the rest of my belongings into my backpack, I grab my hiking boots and do a quick once over to make sure I'm not leaving anything behind. Excitement is the only thing I'm feeling right now; well, that and curiosity. Could this be the adventure that Gandalf told me about?

I practically sprint down the stairs of the inn, noticing that the bar is, for once, absolutely dead. Only two people are seated there, one person who I recognize to be Matilda. She gives me a wide smile.

"Leaving so soon, miss Evelyn?"

"I'm afraid so," I reply. Her smile grows wider as she takes in my bouncing form.

"What's got you so merry?" she asks curiously. I grin, the thoughts of what may lie ahead adding to my eagerness.

"I'm finally living life the way I want to, Matilda." Matilda's eyes narrow, but the smile never strays from her lips as she nods a farewell. I waste no time in running out the door and slamming right into a sea of grey fabric.

"Eager, are we?"

"Sorry, Gandalf," I apologize as I steady myself. "So, where are we off to?"

"We are currently headed for the Shire, miss Wolf. There is someone there I wish to speak with." Gandalf's words seem cryptic, almost. Obviously there is a great deal of information he's not spilling and my curiosity gets the better of me.

"Does he have anything to do with this 'opportunity' you mentioned? And, may I ask now, what is this opportunity?"

"Patience, my dear. I will explain everything once we pass the borders of this town."

I'm not very good at guessing time, but if I had to I would say about twenty minutes had passed before we are out of sight of the fence bordering Bree. The morning air is chilly and the grass surrounding the dirt path is wet with dew. The familiar scent of the forest wraps around me in a comfortable embrace.

"So, Evelyn, how are you adjusting? Well, I presume?"

"Quite well, actually. Although I'm not sure I'll be getting used to this new height of mine any time soon. I liked being tall..." I trailed off with a sigh.

"I would not grumble about it too much. Dwarves, however short they are, are a very proud race. You should consider yourself lucky that you are one of them now. They can be stern and very stubborn at times," he says, his voice wavering a bit. "But they are brave and fiercely loyal to those they care about."

"What else should I know about dwarves, then? Since I'm now a dwarf myself, I think it's only right that I know more about..._my_ race." For some reason, saying that out loud sounds strange. Part of me still believes that I'm dreaming and that any minute now I'll wake up. I seriously doubt it though, I mean, I don't recall ever having slept _in_ a dream. It's like having a dream within a dream. It just doesn't make sense.

"For one, dwarves are a particularly hairy race. Even the dwarven women have beards, just as their male counterparts. So, you will be considered rather strange looking to many. But you seem to have all of the other physical characteristics of your kind."

"Like what?" I ask curiously.

"Your height, for one. Your hair, your build-"

"My build?"

"Yes, your build. Dwarves are...strong and very broad." My eyebrows furrow at this. Did my body actually change as well as my height? I hadn't even noticed.

"Okay," I say, my mind reeling with questions and information. "Anything else?"

"Well, dwarven women are not typically seen outside of their homes. Especially alone. Fierce creatures they are, as well and extremely protected by dwarven men."

"Why is that?"

"There are very few She-Dwarves. In fact, they are so few and alike to male dwarves that some do not believe there are any She-Dwarves. Of course, they are mistaken, for I have seen them with my own eyes some time ago. As a result, they are highly coveted."

"And, you said before, that you think I'm a dwarf because it may have something to do with the reason I was brought here? My destiny?"

"Yes, I believe that is so. And, perhaps, what I'm about to explain to you may play a part in why you are here. You said before that you wanted adventure. Does that wish still remain?"

"Absolutely, of course!" I nearly shout with enthusiasm. Gandalf smiles at my outburst, a twinkle in his pale grey eyes.

"I am rounding up a company of dwarves to embark on a quest. A quest to reclaim their homeland."

"Reclaim it? From who?"

"From Smaug. A great serpent from the North who heard of the riches that were hoarded inside the kingdom of Erebor."

"A...serpent. You mean a dragon?" Dragons existed here too? Well, I suppose it makes sense. I mean, if there are dwarves, why not dragons?

"Precisely."

"So, this kingdom, is that their homeland?" Gandalf hummed in affirmation.

"Erebor was a grand kingdom built in the Lonely Mountain. It was known for it's riches and prosperity. But the king, Thror, became greedy and a powerful sickness overcame him. His lust for gold and treasure became his downfall. Dragons have a great infatuation with treasure and when Smaug heard of the wealth that the dwarves of Erebor had accumulated, he attacked the kingdom, taking it for his own. It's been sixty years since. No one has heard from Smaug, so I met with Thorin, Thror's grandson and rightful heir to the throne. We are going to take back Erebor."

I feel as though I just sat in an incredibly interesting history class. A dragon? And a quest to reclaim a kingdom? I might as well have stepped right into my fairy tale books. Scratch that, I stepped into a Disney movie. Would there be a princess locked away in a tower with a powerful sleeping curse upon her as well?

"Right," I say slowly. "Is that who we are going to meet right now? Thorin?"

"No," the wizard shook his head. "At the present time, we are on our way to see a Bilbo Baggins. I have requested to the company that he be brought along the quest as well, as our official burglar."

"Burglar?" I let out with alarm.

"Well, we need someone to go inside the mountain to see if, in fact, a dragon lay sleeping there," he replies as though I should have known all along.

"Why can't one of the dwarves do it?" Or me, for that matter...

"Smaug is very familiar with the scent of a dwarf. Bilbo is a hobbit and therefore unfamiliar to the dragon."

I remember hobbits vaguely. They were those short people with the large hairy feet. It was hobbits that were the main characters of The Fellowship of the Ring, the only book out of the trilogy I managed to read. I'm starting to regret not reading all of them.

"So Bilbo has agreed to coming along then?" Gandalf makes a sort of grumbling noise in the back of his throat and that's all I need to conclude that Bilbo, in fact, has _not_ agreed just yet.

"I have yet to ask him." My head snaps towards the wizard.

"When were you planning on leaving?"

"Tomorrow, actually. The company is meant to meet at Bilbo's house tonight."

"And you haven't even told the poor man? How can you be sure that he'll come?"

"I'm not sure. But I have faith in him and even though his thirst for adventure may not be as great as yours, it's there somewhere. Like a current beating against a crumbling dam, it will break free, you can be sure of that."

"Fingers crossed," I say quietly.

"Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing."

We continue to walk in silence, the forest now edging away into a beautiful open field. Flowers of all colors dot the richly green grass and straight ahead, I notice a sudden drop. Faint billows of smoke rise from whatever lay down there. The sound of quiet chatter reaches my ear leading me to conclude that we have reached the Shire.

"Ah, we are here," Gandalf states, proving my conclusion correct. He begins to follow another path branching off of the one we were already on and within ten seconds, my eyes fall upon the cutest little village I have ever seen. Every person has large, hairy feet, hobbling about the streets either hauling a wheel barrow, an animal, or some sort of vegetation. The Shire is very green. It's evident that these people enjoy nature and gardening and they seem to fit the part with their tiny frames and curly hair. It's all so _cute_.

I follow Gandalf down the path, passing by what I can only assume to be homes, but they seem to be dug into the ground. We stop at a particularly large one and that's when I notice the hobbit sitting on a garden bench and smoking a pipe. His eyes are closed and his body is slumped back in a relaxed manner. No doubt, Gandalf is about to change that.

The hobbit notices our presence and looks up at the wizard. "Good morning," he greets.

Gandalf, being the ever so cryptic person he is replies with,"What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once, I suppose," the hobbit says rather uncomfortably. I can tell that we've seriously disrupted his peaceful morning. His eyes lock with mine and confusion overtakes his youthful features. "I'm sorry, can I help you?"

"That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."

The hobbit looks downright _offended_ now. "An adventure? No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner."

"Now, they can't be that bad," I but in. "Aren't you curious?"

"Absolutely not!" He stops and looks at us a minute before letting out, "Good morning," and hastily retreating towards the large green door of his home.

"What a lot of things you use Good morning for, Bilbo Baggins!" says Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off." The hobbit's facial expression mirrors that of guilt and attempts to cover up his rude attempt at making us leave.

"No, not at all! Do I know you by any chance?"

"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means … me." I bite back a smile at Gandalf's "grand" introduction.

"Gandalf...not Gandalf, the wandering Wizard, who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Ha! Hmm, I had no idea you were still in business."

It's now Gandalf's turn to take slight offense. "And where else should I be?" he grounds out. Bilbo doesn't seem to have an answer and looks over to me with a wary gaze.

"And you are?" he asks politely.

"Evelyn. Evelyn Wolf. Pleased to meet you Mr. Baggins," I say with a bright smile.

"The...pleasure is all mine." Something tells me he isn't being completely sincere, but I don't blame him in any way. He doesn't look like the type to go on adventures and anyone can tell that he is beyond uncomfortable at this point. I feel bad for him.

"Well that's decided," Gandalf breaks out after a moment of awkward silence. "It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others. Come along, miss Wolf."

Bilbo looks like he is about to have a panic attack and I quickly stop Gandalf's retreating figure.

"Are you sure he's the one you want to bring along, Gandalf? He looks like he's going to have a stroke," I say quietly, looking back at the hobbit with worry.

"Trust me, my dear Evelyn. Bilbo will be a very valuable asset to the company, even if he doesn't know it yet himself." I nod at the wizard, trusting his judgement.

"Mr. Baggins, are you okay?" I ask tentatively as Gandalf inconspicuously makes his way to Bilbo's door. Bilbo's face his red and anxiousness is clear in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, quite alright," he lets out. "Please, I'm not looking for any adventures. Whoever you are meant to inform, don't." I sigh, just as my stomach decides to let out a very loud growl.

"Sorry," I say with a blush on my cheeks. "I didn't get the chance to eat this morning."

"Oh! My apologies, miss Wolf. You know, hobbits are quite hospitable folk. Master Baggins, why don't you help Evelyn here get something to eat. I'll come for you later tonight." Bilbo and I share a wide eyed look of surprise.

"No, no, Gandalf. I can't-" I stop short as I see absolutely no sign of Gandalf anywhere. "What the hell?" I whisper.

"Wh-where did he go?" I hear Bilbo ask. I shake my head.

"I don't know. Look Mr. Baggins you don't have to do anything. I'm sure I can find somewhere else to eat." He lets out a sigh.

"No, no. As adverse as I am to letting in strangers, I would never leave a young woman starving at my door step. Come along then," he says. I follow Bilbo inside his home, marveling at the interesting tunneled architecture. It's very cozy, and very...well, hobbit-like.

"Tea and eggs, miss?"

"If you don't mind, yes, that would be lovely," I answer sincerely. "I'm sorry, Mr. Baggins, I don't mean to put you out at all. I had no idea that Gandalf was going to just leave me here."

"It's quite alright. And please, call me Bilbo, miss." I smile at the hobbit.

"Call me Evelyn as well." He gives me a small smile and I silently rejoice that he's at least getting somewhat comfortable with me. Bilbo motions for me to sit down with him at his small wooden table.

"So, excuse me for asking, but what are you? You seem too small to be a human, but your feet are not that of a hobbit."

"I'm a dwarf," I say awkwardly. But who else could call themselves a dwarf confidently if they've only been one for less than two days?

"A dwarf? Shouldn't you have a beard?"

"Ah, well, yes, but I'm a rare case you see. I was...born without facial hair..." God, this is so weird to talk about. Bilbo nods slowly as though he notices how awkward I'm being with the whole ordeal. "What about you?" I ask quickly. "Tell me about yourself."

And so, for the next few hours, Bilbo and I make conversation, growing increasingly more comfortable with each other. I realize very soon that I really like this hobbit. Even though he seems hesitant about the idea of leaving the Shire, I can tell that there is spirit inside him. Hopefully, Gandalf can persuade him to come along. I'd love to have Bilbo as company.

Midday fast approaches, and the intense urge to explore causes me to stand up and excuse myself.

"If you don't mind, Bilbo, I think I'll go out and explore the area a bit. I've never seen anything as amazing as this place. I'll be back at night to meet with Gandalf. That is, if he remembers to come get me." I say the last part to myself, but I know that Bilbo probably heard it.

"Oh, yes, of course. If I may make a suggestion, the orchard is absolutely beautiful this time of year. Just follow the path to your left and you should come across it eventually." I shoot Bilbo a wide grin and thank him before walking out the door.

He's right, the orchard is breathtaking. Small, pink apple blossoms litter the trees and the smell, wow. It's all so serene. I continue to walk around the village well after nightfall. The place is just too pretty for me to up and leave it. I want to see everything there is to see before I head back and leave forever. But, perhaps, if I don't end up going home after all, I could always come back. The idea fills me with hope and I merrily trod back to Bilbo's home immediately taking notice of the ponies standing out in his yard. I didn't realize that Bilbo was expecting company...

"Bilbo?" I yell out as I open the large, round door. I look to my right to see him standing stiff and facing towards his dining hall. I run over to him, concern lacing my features only to have him promptly fall into a crumpled heap at my feet. My head tilts up, meeting the eyes of thirteen dwarves and, of course, Gandalf.

"Miss Wolf, I was wondering where you had run off to."


	5. Cliches and Cheesy Romance Novels

How could I have forgotten? Gandalf _had_ told that there would be a meeting tonight.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet miss Evelyn Wolf. She, also, will be joining the company on our journey."

"A woman?" My eyes avert to the dwarf standing at the head of the table, long dark hair streaked with grey and intense blue eyes boring straight into my own. I can hear the surprise in his voice, as well as the subtle hint of displeasure. I guess he has every right to judge though, I certainly don't look like much. I open my mouth to retort, but Gandalf beats me to it.

"Yes, a woman. But I promise you she has a few skills that will make her a valuable addition to the company." I turn my body so I'm facing the table completely, Bilbo momentarily forgotten.

"As Gandalf said, I'm Evelyn. It's a pleasure to meet you all." As my eyes scan the crowd of dwarves, I instantly become aware of how right Gandalf was when he mentioned how hairy they were. Each one of them had an interesting style to them, setting each of them apart from their companions, but the amount of _hair_ on their bodies...

That's when I see a very familiar face, the blonde dwarf I had run into last night. The look he's giving me says he recognizes me, as well. He's part of the company too? Huh, small world.

But nothing prepares me for this one.

What I guess to be the most cliche moment of my life occurs: My eyes lock with a striking pair of dark brown ones and instantly, I'm melting on the spot. Holy hell. This man, this dwarf, is absolutely _gorgeous_.

He must have noticed me staring, because the corner of his mouth lifts up in a smile causing me to look away, my cheeks burning. Instead, I look down at Bilbo.

"Is he alright?" I ask with concern.

"He's fine," says one of the dwarves with a rather impressive handlebar mustache. "Just mulling things over." The rest of the group laughs and I sigh, turning my head to Gandalf.

"Were you trying to persuade him again?" He merely shrugs a shoulder, a sheepish smile on his face. "What got him?"

No one answers so I rephrase, "What made him faint?"

"We were only explaining the possible outcomes of this journey. Seems he did not fancy those outcomes at all." The one who answered seems much older than the rest of the group, his hair is stark white.

"Well no one really fancies dying, now do they?" I retort with an amused smile. "I guess I'll move him somewhere more comfortable. Poor thing."

"Let me handle it, miss Wolf. You can take this time to get to know your companions better," Gandalf says quickly. Before I know it, it's just me and twelve curious dwarves. The one with the dark hair started muttering while Gandalf was speaking, leaving the room quite abruptly.

"Okay," I start. "Why don't we start with names then, shall we?" I probably should have gone about that a different way because I'm getting all of their names shouted at me all at once. I nod as if I actually got everyone's name, seating myself in the chair that Gandalf had previously been occupying.

"Say, you're the girl I bumped into at the pub last night, are you not? Ran straight off when she saw me." It's the blonde dwarf who speaks to me and I nod my head, a little embarrassed at how I had scurried off like a scared mouse when he had apologized.

"Sorry, I wouldn't have run off like that, but I get really uncomfortable in large crowds of people. Especially when I'm only four feet tall." I muttered the last part to myself, a few of the dwarves sitting next to me hearing it and laughing.

"What's a young lass like you doing out here on your own? Did you come from the Blue Mountains?"

"And where's your beard?" The last question comes from, who I assume to be, the youngest dwarf there, next to the blonde and the oh-so mysterious dark eyed dwarf.

"Wasn't born with one,"I answer simply. "I'm quite the rare case." That's an understatement... "And I'm not very familiar with this area. I don't think any of you would know of where I came from, but I left so I could, I don't know, go _adventuring_."

"A thrill seeker, eh?" A dwarf with a funny trumpet instrument held to his hear says. He slaps the hulking figure next to him on the arm while he laughs, my eyes trained on the intimidating tattoos and ear cuffs adorning this particular dwarf.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," I begin to say, but I'm quickly cut off by the very same dwarf I was assessing.

"What are the skills Gandalf was sayin' you have? Swords? Axe?"

"Uh, try bow and arrow."

"Ah! Young Kili over here is a skilled archer himself!" My head turns towards a mane of red hair, brass clasps holding onto small tufts of his beard. His hands are motioning to none other than the very dwarf I had locked eyes with earlier. Hm, _Kili_. It suits him. He's looking at me with a ghost of a smile on his face, which promptly results in the speeding up of my heart rate.

Dear Lord, help me.

Much to my relief and chagrin, I hear raised voices coming from the sitting room of Bilbo's home, halting whatever humiliating moment was about to occur.

"I'm assuming that Gandalf isn't succeeding in persuading Bilbo to come along," I state.

"He's not really burglar material. Maybe it's best if he doesn't come." I shrug in response.

"He may be small and frail looking, but I had the pleasure of getting to know him this morning and he's got a lot more spirit than he might like to admit. I think if he just gives it a chance, he'll find that he's a lot more suited to it." The table falls silent after my words and a few dwarves stand up to leave the room. Kili and the blonde dwarf, however, stay seated.

"What's your name again?" I ask the blonde.

"Fili and next to me is my brother, Kili," he answers, putting an arm around Kili's shoulders in a brotherly hug.

"Did your mom do that on purpose?" The words come tumbling out of my mouth before I have a chance to think about it.

"Do what?"

"Rhyme your names together. Or is that just some sort of dwarf...thing?" I realize that I am probably making zero sense to them, but Fili seems to understand my words at least a little.

"Dwarf thing? Aren't you a dwarf?" My cheeks flare up and an embarrassed smile makes it's way onto my face.

"I mean, yeah, but-I-well, I'm pretty uneducated with dwarven...culture, I guess. I wasn't exactly brought up here-"

"Then where are you from?" It's Kili who speaks up this time and it's now that I understand what those cheesy romance novels mean when they describe one's voice as being attractive. Yeah, a lot of guys have nice voices (aka Channing Tatum and Dave Franco), but Kili's voice downright gives me the shivers; the good kind. I want to smack myself for being so God damn cliche, but it's the honest truth.

"Uh..." I'm interrupted (thank God) by Bilbo trudging through the dining hall. "Bilbo?" I call quietly. The hobbit looks to me with a downcast expression. It's all I needed to know that he had turned down the offer. He goes to keep moving, but I grab onto his hand and give him a reassuring smile. He returns it, albiet weakly, and continues to walk to his room.

"You care for the hobbit?" I turn back around towards Kili, taking in his curious dark eyes.

"I feel bad for him. He lives peacefully and contently and he's being pressured to do exactly the opposite of what he's accustomed too. As much as I want him to come with us, he shouldn't be forced to do something he's uncomfortable with."

"What about you? You volunteered for this journey, did you not?"

"I did," I say with a smile. "My life was dull and not what I wanted it to be. Adventure is something I've always dreamed about. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this for all the money in the world."

"It's dangerous," Fili pipes up. "Especially for a woman. You never know what lay awaiting out in the wild." As sexist as it seems, the way Fili says it doesn't bother me. The only tone that I pick up from his words is genuine concern.

"I'm willing to chance it. Anyway, could you please help me in remembering everyone's names?" And so, for the next fifteen minutes, Kili and Fili help me to place a name to each face while also telling me a few funny stories about a majority of them. They seem like a rowdy, lively, fun bunch, making me all the more eager to start the journey and personally get to know each dwarf.

"What about the dark haired one? He stomped off when I first came in."

"That is Thorin, our uncle," Kili replies. So that's Thorin? Heir to the kingdom of Erebor?

"He seems...pleasant," I say as I watch the ever present scowl on Thorin's face deepen.

"He's been through much," Fili defends. "Life has certainly not been kind to him." I let Fili's words sink in, trying hard not let pity surface from my feelings. The last thing anyone like Thorin wants is pity. I can tell that this quest must be incredibly important to him, so I make it a promise to myself that I'll try to stay in his good graces.

Something, out of the corner of my eyes, catches my attention. Underneath the table, I see Kili's hands turning an object over and over. It almost looks like a stone of some sort.

"What's that?" I ask, pointing to Kili's hands. He smiles at me, obviously resulting in a small little stomach flip for me, and puts the object on the table.

"It's a talisman, given to me by my mother. It's meant to be a promise between the both of us." Slowly, my hand reaches for the stone, my eyes seeking permission from Kili, who nods. Strange runes are engraved on the polished surface in what I can only assume to be a sort of language. Maybe a dwarven language?

"A promise?"

"Yes, a promise that I'll return home." I study the stone for another minute before gently handing it back to him.

"It's beautiful," I say with a crooked smile. Once again, I find myself staring at Kili. Unlike his companions, he doesn't have a beard, only rough stubble. Normally, I'm all for a clean shaven guy, but Kili definitely rocks the five o'clock shadow. He's rugged and handsome, two attributes that I have a feeling are pretty rare for dwarven men if the rest of our race is anything similar to the company.

"Are you two going to stare at each other all night or are we going to get some sleep?" Fili is the one to break our story book gaze, a knowing smirk on his face. I'm not the only one blushing now.

"Er, uh, yeah, I'm just gonna..." I don't even finish my sentence before I'm high-tailing it out of there. Good God, since when did I turn into a blushing school girl?

In an attempt to swallow my embarrassment, I focus on repacking my bag, making sure I have every necessity neatly tucked away. Extra clothes, first aid supplies, a few hair ties, and several other miscellaneous items are shoved inside as I think of every possible situation that could present itself during the trip. The thought of bathing comes to the forefront of my mind and, so, like a sneaky hotel guest, I snatch away a small bar of soap from Bilbo's bathroom. It's not like he'll really miss it, there's at least a dozen bars in there.

Ten minutes later, I'm fully satisfied with my bag and ready for bed. However, the thought of sleep quickly evades my mind as a haunting, sorrowful tune fills my ears. The voices of the dwarves are low and rumbling, blending together in perfect harmony. I'm in a complete trance, my eyes blurring out of focus as I stare into the sitting room. It doesn't take me long to figure out that it's Erebor the dwarves are singing about and it's then that the utter importance of this quest is revealed to me.

_The pines were roaring on the height. _

_The winds were moaning in the night. _

_The fire was red, it's flaming spread; _

_The trees like torches blazed with light. _

_The bells were ringing in the dale _

_And men looked up with faces pale; _

_Then dragon's ire more fierce than fire_

_Laid low their towers and houses frail. _

_The mountain smoked beneath the moon; _

_The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom. _

_They fled their hall to dying fall _

_Beneath his feet, beneath the moon. _

_Far over the misty mountains grim _

_To dungeons deep and caverns dim _

_We must away, ere break of day, _

_To win our harps and gold from him! _

Erebor was their home. It was where they grew up, lived their lives. It _meant_ something to them. This isn't some happy adventure put together by the boredom of thirteen thrill seeking dwarves. This is their last chance at taking back what is rightfully theirs, avenging the lives of their kin who died in the dragon fire. This is very, _very_ real.

Fierce determination strikes me at this point, a sudden, intense loyalty geared towards the thirteen dwarves who lost their home. I'm one of them now. I am a dwarf. I feel it's now my duty, my obligation to aid them in reclaiming the lost kingdom. This has to be why I was brought here, this has to be my destiny. There can be no other explanation.

I'm not sure what exactly my role will be in this journey, but I'm going to make it a significant one. I'm determined too.

Even if it kills me.

* * *

><p><strong>Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter...Idk I tried my best with getting the characters personalities right. In the future I'm going to try to give Evelyn a chance to connect with more of the dwarves and not just Kili and Fili; although, she will be interacting with Kili more than anyone or it wouldn't be a "KiliOC." **

**But, dawwww, Evelyn is getting a taste of that fierce dwarvish loyalty already! **

**Hopefully another chapter up tomorrow, but, if not, definitely the next day. **

**Thanks for reading (: **


	6. The Sound of Orcs

This night, I dream of green forests and clear waters, tall mountains with snow covered caps, and brightly colored arrows sticking out from the soft, dirt ground. Everything is so vibrant, lively, _brilliant_, and I'm glad to be a part of it. Low sounds fill air; soft 'hums' and quiet voices singing of a mountain, a lost kingdom, and a great, fearsome dragon. It's lovely, yet haunting all the same. The voices are barely audible now, drifting off with the wind. I hear someone, someone calling out a name in the distance.

"Lady Evelyn."

Evelyn...are they calling for me?

"Lady Evelyn, you must wake."

My eyes crack open, revealing leather clad feet and legs. A sleep induced grumble escapes past my lips. I hear a low chuckle. A hand is placed on my shoulder, gently shaking me awake.

"We are leaving soon. Wouldn't want to be left behind, now, would we?"

I recognize the voice; _Kili_. What a nice voice it is...

"Not really," I say groggily. Sitting myself up, I let out a yawn while stretching my arms up in the air.

"Are you packed and ready for departure?" I nod, looking around the room to see all of the dwarves eating and packing up the last of their things.

"It's a shame Bilbo isn't coming. I would've liked his company," I say a bit sadly. Bilbo reminds me of home, comfort. It also would have helped to have someone else who is just as inexperienced as I am with adventures like this. I'll have to prove myself all the more to make up for my lack of knowledge. Hopefully, nothing too disastrous or difficult will spring up during the journey.

Kili is looking at me with his curious dark eyes. "Do you fancy the hobbit?"

His question has me sputtering. "Oh, God no!" I all but yelp. "I certainly don't 'fancy' Bilbo. I just like him."

His curious expression turns to one of understanding as he nods. I take the time to marvel at how attractive he looks even in the early morning. Despite the fact that his hair is a tad bit greasy and knotted, and his clothes are dirty, he's still incredibly good looking.

_If there's anyone I do fancy, it's you... _

I close my eyes in silent horror of my thoughts. I barely know the guy! He could be a freak for all I know, though I honestly doubt it. With a shake of my head, I heave myself off of the floor and give Kili a wide grin.

"So, when do we leave?" I ask.

"Now," a deep voice grumbles behind me. I turn around to see Thorin making his way across the living room. He nods my way, though I still notice the hint of doubt in his eyes. I'll prove to him that he made the right decision in letting me come. How, I'm not sure, but I will.

My backpack is full and ready to go. It's a little heavier than I would have liked, but I don't have the time to sort through it again, so I pull my arms through the straps and make for the door.

"That's an odd pack you have there." Fili and Kili are at my sides, staring at my black backpack. I only shrug, not wanting to have to explain why everything about me is so different. They would never understand.

Outside, I count fourteen ponies waiting as they graze on the grass of Bilbo's front lawn. I bite my lip, feeling a little apprehensive of riding on one of them.

"Miss Wolf, you can take the hobbit's pony as he is no longer coming," Thorin says. He points towards a white spotted pony in the front, a large bundle of blankets strapped onto the back of it. I nod and walk ever so slowly to the animal. How are you supposed to get on these things?

"Well damn," I say under my breath, hands on hips. It would be a whole lot simpler if I had some sort of stool. My eyes widen as I watch Kili climb up onto his pony with graceful ease. How does he do that?

"Having trouble, Miss Evelyn?" I turn my body towards a dwarf with grey hair, braided intricately in a manly up-do. Dori, I think is name is.

"A little," I reply. "I've never ridden a pony before." Dori stares at me weirdly, as do a few other dwarves who heard what I said.

"You've never ridden a pony before?" Fili asks incredulously. I shrug.

"What can I say? I lived a sheltered life." And it isn't far from the truth.

"I'll say," he mutters. Fili takes the reins of his pony and gears it towards Thorin and Balin.

"Well are you all going to just stare at me or are one of you going to help me get on this thing?" Dori snaps out of his trance and moves to help, but a voice stops him.

"I'll do it, Dori." Kili steers his pony right next to mine and grins down at me. "Allow me, Evelyn." He proceeds to jump from his seat, bends down on one knee, and places his overlapped hands out in front of him. With a shy smile, I place my foot into his hands and, with his help, hoist myself up. I can't imagine how awkward it must look to see me try and get my foot over the back of the pony; nevertheless, I succeed, not without a few colorful words falling from my mouth, mind you.

"How in the world do you manage to do this on your own?" I ask Kili breathlessly.

"Practice," he answers simply. "Many years of practice."

Well alright then.

After everyone is situated on their ponies and Gandalf on his horse, we start the journey to the Lonely Mountain. I immediately decide that I quite like riding ponies. Even though my legs are a little itchy and uncomfortable, it's something new and different. I'm always up for something new and different. A smile spreads across my face and my eyes close, enjoying the fresh morning breeze.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Gandalf is riding next to me, his form towering over mine as usual.

"Very much," I say. "I'm sorry you couldn't convince Bilbo, Gandalf."

"Hobbits are very surprising creatures, Evelyn. Do not give up on him yet." With that, Gandalf's horse surges forward leaving me to my thoughts. I'll admit, I'm nervous for what might lay ahead. I don't know of the dangers of Middle Earth and it scares me to think that anything deadly could be waiting out there, but I did make myself a promise last night. I would help these dwarves to the best of my ability.

We are almost passed the borders of the Shire when a voice calls out, "Wait!"

I turn, along with everyone else, and I smile. It's Bilbo.

"I signed it," he says proudly, waving the contract in front of Balin. The dwarf confirms the legitimacy of Bilbo's signature, while Thorin calls for someone to share a pony with the hobbit.

"I'll share," I pipe up. Bilbo immediately begins to shake his head.

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I- I- I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once-"

"Oh, c'mon Bilbo. Just get on the pony. It won't kill you," I say with an eye roll.

Thankfully, Fili and Kili decide to help out by gripping onto either side of Bilbo's shoulders and hoisting him up onto my pony.

"Glad to see you could make it," I tell him with a grin plastered on my face.

"Well, I realized that I would be quite the fool to pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity such as this. My Took side had won after all." He mumbles the last part to himself, not that I really understand what he's talking about.

"I'm happy that you decided to come, Bilbo. I really am." He gives me a grateful smile before sneezing and grumbling about a handkerchief. I let out a quiet laugh.

"What's so funny?" My head whips to the right to see Kili with his always so curious expression. He always seems curious about me. It's probably because I don't have a beard.

_Or maybe he likes you...no definitely not it._

"Oh, nothing," I say. "Just thinking happy thoughts."

"Like what?"

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." I shut up quickly, remembering who I'm talking to. I doubt Kili has seen The Sound of Music.

"Odd things to think about," he muses.

"It's a song," I tell him. Now that I think about it, I realize that I probably won't ever be able to watch that movie again. The thought makes me a bit sad. That movie is one of my favorites.

"A song...care to sing it?" My eyes widen.

"Uh, no. I'm not really comfortable with singing in front of people," I explain. I've never actually sung in front of anyone before and I don't plan on it. To my relief, Kili nods in understanding.

"I would like to hear it someday, though," he says, a crooked smile on his face. Honestly, it has me blushing quite furiously and I'm quick to bow my head and allow my hair to cover my face.

"Maybe."

Hours go by. I make up the time by making small talk with Bilbo and occasionally Kili or Fili, the latter frequently giving Kili and I suspicious looks whenever one of us laugh or smile. And, of course, I blush and turn my head in embarrassment. I wonder if Kili notices his brother's smirking and mocking looks...

The sun is slowly setting into the horizon, casting a beautiful glow across the sky. It's at this time that we stop to make camp. A fire is lit, blankets are spread out, and everyone is cozy. Or at least, as cozy as one can get out on a rocky ledge. I plant myself next to Kili, offering both the brothers a 'hello.' They smoke on their pipes while I stare into the fire, letting my eyes unfocus and my mind to wander off a bit. I think of home, my books, my movies, my forest. I miss them, but at the same time, I'd rather be here. My thoughts quickly change to the song, "My Favorite Things" as well as the other catchy tunes from the musical. I always liked that movie; it's so lively and a total feel-good movie. And, if I'm to be honest, young Christopher Plummer was _attractive_. So was his voice. Oh, how I loved listening to "Edelweiss." It's such a sweet, comforting song. Before I know it, I'm humming the tune softly to myself, the lyrics floating around in my head.

"I thought you didn't sing in front of others." My trance is broken as Kili stares at me with amusement. I scoff at his words.

"I'm not singing. I'm _humming_. There's a difference."

"Well, whatever you were humming, go on, sing it," Fili urges.

"What is it with you guys wanting me to sing?" I throw up my hands in exasperation. Apparently, I say that a little to loudly, because almost all of the dwarves who haven't drifted off yet turn my way.

"What's this about singing?" Bofur asks.

"Evelyn, here, was about to sing something for us," Fili tells him. I immediately shake my head.

"No, no. I'm not singing. Nope." It's not that I think my voice is _bad_, but with stage fright and all...

"C'mon lassie. Sing us a song!"

"Yeah, go on!"

"Dwarves do like a good song," Kili says to me.

"Uhh, um, I-I guess," I stammer out. All of them are staring at me, completely silent and waiting. My heart skips a beat.

_You _cannot_ look like an idiot in front of Kili. _

Here goes nothing.

Softly and shyly, I begin to sing "Edelweiss," completely aware that all eyes are on me.

_Edelweiss, edelweiss_

_Every morning you greet me _

_Small and white, clean and bright _

_You look happy to me, to me _

_Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow _

_Bloom and grow forever _

_Edelweiss, Edelweiss _

_Bless my homeland forever _

Silence is all I hear when I finish the last note.

"Well that was a bit of a mood changer," Bofur jests. The dwarves laugh and so do I, no longer feeling self-conscious in front of them. I look over to Kili, who is staring at me with an unrecognizable expression in his eyes.

I don't know what it is, but it's giving me butterflies in my stomach.

A loud screech in the distance breaks off our 'moment' (I'd like to call it that), and Bilbo scrambles from his previous spot near the ponies closer to the rest of us.

"What was that?" he asks with a trace of panic in his voice.

Kili answers him. "Orcs." The blood drains from my face. I forgot about those.

"Orcs?"

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." It's Fili who decides to add in his two-cents. Kili is quick to follow.

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood."

All I can think of now is disgusting, frightening looking creatures coming at me with large swords. Oh, God, I _forgot_ about those. I barely make out Thorin reprimanding them, I'm too busy thinking about what would happen if we ran into those things. How would I defend myself? I don't even have a weapon! Oh God, oh God, oh God.

"Are you alright?" I think it's Kili who asks, but I don't turn to look.

"I'm fine," I choke out.

"Don't mind him, laddie," Balin says. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." He pauses before continuing on. "After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundobad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King." Balin's voice shakes as he mentions the King's gruesome death and I find my gaze transfixed on the older dwarf, silently begging him to go on with the story.

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc." I know it's Thorin he's talking about and it's then that I realize what Fili had meant last night when he said that life had not been kind to his uncle.

"He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent, wielding nothing by an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, nor song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." As Balin finishes, everyone, including me, is now looking to Thorin, respect and sorrow clear in our eyes.

"And the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asks. "What happened to him?"

It's Thorin who answers the hobbit, his voice filled with disgust for the creature. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."

The air around the campfire is now solemn and quiet. I lay my head down onto my backpack, my head reeling from the story. How can one go through so much and still be sane enough to function?

The same determination and loyalty surges through me once again. Now that I know what this journey means to Thorin, what it means to all of the dwarves, I'll do everything I can to aid them. The fact that there are orcs running loose where we will most likely be walking through has my stomach twisting painfully and my blood running cold, but Gandalf said dwarves are meant to be brave and fierce. I am a dwarf, myself, so I must be the same. But how can one be brave when facing death? I will myself to stop thinking about it. There's a chance we may not run into any at all. With that thought in mind, my eyelids begin to droop.

I vaguely recall a presence next to me, something warm placed over my cold body, and a finger lightly caress my exposed cheek.

And then I slept.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is really filler, but I promise that the next one will have a lot more action. Also, I know the song part is a bit cheesy, but I've been watching The Sound of Music like on repeat and I just couldn't help myself... <strong>

**So yeah, hope you liked this, please review, and Happy New Year! **


	7. The Silence of the Ponies

The first thing that comes to my mind as I'm waking up is that it is _hot_. Which is funny, because last night, I was freezing. With my eyelids half closed, I slowly roll over onto my side, only to be greeted by Kili's sleeping face. We are _really_ close. I try to move back a bit to give us both some room, but my back hits a sleeping Fili.

_Great, I'm caught in a dwarf sandwich_, I think sarcastically. Well, that explains why it's so hot. The two dwarves radiated heat off of them, not to mention that a very thick blanket is covering me. Someone must have placed it on me while I was sleeping then. I smile, glad that some of the dwarves are looking out for me. It makes me feel like a part of them.

"Morning Evelyn," a tired voice says quietly. I turn my head to see Kili giving me a lazy smile.

"Morning," I giggle. Oh God, I _giggled_. What the hell? I don't _giggle_.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"You have a rather sour look on your face," Kili points out. I fight the blush that is threatening to creep up to my cheeks.

"Oh, no, I'm just fine and dandy." I sit up and whip the blanket off of me, instantly feeling relief from the sweltering heat. "Jesus, I'm sweating. Who gave me this blanket anyway?"

"That would have been Kili," grumbles Fili as he, too, sits up.

"Oh, thank you," I say to Kili with a grin. He returns it, taking my breath away.

"Couldn't let a beautiful maiden freeze in her sleep." Kili smirks and walks to his pony, leaving me sputtering and blushing madly. Fili is just standing there with an even wider smirk. I want to slap it off of him.

"Oh, shut up!" I nearly shout before stomping off.

"I said nothing," he grins with both his hands up. I roll my eyes, making my way over to Myrtle, the pony that Bilbo and I are sharing.

"Good morning, Bilbo," I greet to the hobbit who is sneakily feeding the pony another apple.

"Oh, good morning, Evelyn. Sleep well?"

"Yep! You?"

"Very well, thank you." Bilbo continues to pet Myrtle for a bit before speaking up again. "Evelyn?"

"Yes?"

"You don't think we'll run into any..orcs, do you?" My breath hitches a little at his question. The truth is, I have no idea if we will or not, and that's exactly what I tell him.

"But, if anything happens Bilbo, stay close to me, okay? I promise to stay with you." I'm not sure how exactly I plan on protecting the hobbit, but I'll do what I can. I cannot let the one comforting person I have get in harms way. In the time that I've gotten to know Bilbo, I realize how fond I am of him and how much he reminds me of home. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I would do. Bilbo nods with a rather nervous expression on his face, but I give him a genuine smile to appease him.

"Let's get a move on!" yells Thorin. Ten minutes later, we are on the road, once again. Fili had helped Bilbo and I get onto the horse this time, and it wasn't any easier, let me tell you. How these dwarves are able to do it themselves as gracefully as they do, I will never know. After about three hours of silent riding, rain begins to pour. Dori grumbles for a while before asking Gandalf if he can "do something about this deluge."

"It is raining, master dwarf and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard," is Gandalf's smart reply.

"Are there any?" Bilbo asks from behind me.

"What?"

"Other wizards?"

"There are five of us," says Gandalf. "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown."

"Is he a great Wizard or is he... more like you?" Oh, _ouch_. I fight to contain a snicker after Bilbo's comment, seeing how Gandalf looks slightly offended.

"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world." I shiver as I think of orcs and other frightening creatures. I hope to God we don't run into any.

Another several hours roll by, painfully slow. During that time, I'm completely aware of the occasional glances Kili gives me and I try hard not to take any notice. But it's really hard to ignore when a very attractive person is blatantly staring at you.

"So, Evelyn, where did you learn that song from last night?" Fili asks, bringing his horse up next to mine. Soon, Kili is on the other side of mine and Bilbo's pony, his head turned my way, waiting for my answer.

"It's from a mov-" I stop, realizing that they will have no idea what a movie is. "It's from a play. A story, I guess."

"A story? Would you mind sharing it?" I look between Kili and Fili and I even notice Dori, Ori and Bofur turn their heads towards me, waiting for me to tell the story of Maria and the von Trapp family. And so I tell them, leaving out certain parts that may be a little hard for them to understand.

"Why did the family have to flee?" Ori asks softly.

"Well, Captain von Trapp did not agree with the Nazi parties cause. It was either they flee, or he served an army that was bent on doing horrible things."

"What were those horrible things?"

"The leader of the Nazi party believed that the only people worth living were those of the Aryan race; blonde hair and blue eyes. And so they set out to kill off anyone who didn't fit the criteria."

"That's awful," Ori says, lowering his head.

"Yes, it was. But that was a long time ago. Things got better, thankfully."

"Where exactly did this happen?" Kili asks. And there's the dreaded question I was waiting for...

"Uh, well, it happened, in a-uh, other...world?" I stutter out. I forgot that they didn't know I came from.

"Wha-"Kili begins, but is cut off by Thorin telling everyone to dismount and set up camp.

I, none too gracefully, slide off of Myrtle, help Bilbo off, and make my way towards Gandalf.

"A farmer and his family used to live here," he says to himself. I then realize that what we are standing under what looks to be the remains of an old farm house.

"What happened?" I ask nervously.

"I'm not quite sure," he replies. Gandalf takes one more look around before calling out, "I think it would be wiser to move on." Thorin is approaching the two of us as the wizard says this. "We could make for the Hidden Valley."

"I told you already," grumbles Thorin, "I will not go near that place." Not wanting to get in the middle of an argument, I slip away towards the rest of the company. Some are still hopping down from their ponies while the others are standing around, waiting for orders.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" I turn to see Gandalf stomping away angrily, Bilbo looking at him with a nervous curiosity.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense," mutters the wizard.

"And who is that?"

"Myself, mister Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day." I want to call Gandalf back, but I decide against it. I don't want to anger him further.

After a fire is set, dinner cooked, and my stomach partially filled, I go out to find somewhere to go to the bathroom. _Nature calls, after all_.

I take my time in getting back, allowing the familiar atmosphere of the forest to wrap around me. I missed taking my runs through dirt trails, bringing along my bow and arrows and pretending I'm on an adventure, shooting at anything that moved. But now I'm on a real one, and I don't have any bow and arrows to use. I would probably feel a little more useful if I did have one.

Voices up ahead cause me to walk faster and, eventually, I stumble upon Kili, Fili, and Bilbo staring at a large, glowing light a few hundred feet in front of us.

"What's going on?" All of a sudden, the ground starts to shake and something very, very large stomps past us. An arm wraps around my waist, pulling me down onto my knees.

"Sh," whispers Kili, his mouth incredibly close to my ear. Whatever this thing is, it's huge and it _smells_. I want to start gagging. Something in it's arms catches my attention: two ponies, two very familiar ponies.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" exclaims Bilbo. "I think they're going to eat them, we have to do something."

"Yes; you should. Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small, they'll never see you," says Kili as if it's perfectly safe.

"Trolls?!" I whisper-shout as Bilbo shakes his head.

"It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you." I stare at Kili incredulously.

"If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl," Fili cuts in. Both dwarves push Bilbo ahead, Kili grabbing my arm and dragging me away from the poor hobbit.

"Are you insane? He's going to get himself killed!" I shout.

"Don't worry, Evelyn, we're going to tell Thorin and come back for him," Fili appeases. But it doesn't work.

"No, I told Bilbo that if anything happened, I would be with him. I promised."

"You'll have to break this promise, just this once. I can't let you go out there by yourself," says Kili forcefully. I rip my arm from his grasp and give him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, but I don't break my promises. Besides, I won't be by myself." And with that, I'm running after Bilbo, ignoring Kili shouting for me to come back. I know I have no weapon or no plan on what to do, but the only thing running through my mind is Bilbo and my promise to myself that I would protect him. I really didn't think this one through.

The sight of the three, disgusting, huge trolls has my heart pounding in my chest. Part of me wants to just stand and stare, but the other half forces me to look for Bilbo. I see him off in the corner where the ponies are trapped, attempting to untie the rope binding the fence.

"Bilbo," I whisper as I make my way over to him. He's startled at first, but quickly relaxes when he realizes it's me. "Are you able to untie it?"

"No, it's much too tight. I need some sort of knife," he says, his voice barely audible. "Over there," he points. "There's a knife on the back of that troll. I'll go try to swipe it off of him. Stay here and see if you can untie the rope."

I open my mouth to stop him, but the hobbit is already gone from my side.

"Shit," I curse under my breath. Bilbo was right. The rope is tightly bound and no amount of tugging will loosen it. I freeze when I hear Bilbo's startled yelp. With wide eyes, I watch as one of the trolls holds Bilbo in his hand and quickly drops him to the ground. I want to go out and help him, but I have nothing to defend myself with.

"What are you then? An over-sized squirrel?" One of the trolls asks with demand.

"No, I'm a burglar-uhh, hobbit," stammers Bilbo.

"A burglar-hobbit?"

"Can we cook him?"

"We can try!" I watch in horror as each troll attempts to grab onto Bilbo. I look around me, desperately trying to find something that could possibly help him. As quietly as I can, I crawl to the back of the wooden pen, and, miraculously, I see a small knife by on of the ponies hooves.

Well that's convenient.

I drop to my stomach and reach underneath the wood for the knife just as I hear someone shout, "Drop him!"

_Kili._

"I said, drop him." I can't see what's happening, but then I hear it, the sound of battle cries. The dwarves have come to fight. My hand finally grasps the handle of the knife and I stand up, seeing the dwarves cut and stab at the legs of the trolls. Fear travels up my spine and I briefly consider hiding back here, where I'll be safe. But then I remember, I'm a dwarf. Dwarves don't cower in the face of danger. I told myself I would help them in their journey. No turning back on my word now.

I have no idea what I'm doing, that's clear enough. Nevertheless, I run out into the mass of fighting dwarves and whimpering trolls, following suite of my companions and attempting to jab at the thick ankles that stomp around us. But, of course, my tiny knife lodges itself to far, and now I'm weaponless.

My poor fighting skills don't seem to matter, because the shouts of the dwarves are silenced. When I turn around, my stomach completely drops. Two of the trolls hold Bilbo's legs and arms. I cringe at the thought of what will happen if they pull too hard.

"Bilbo!" I shout, pushing myself forward. I'm stopped by Kili's arm.

"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off!"

They hesitate, much to my disbelief, but, eventually, Thorin stabs his sword into the ground, the company following suit immediately after.

The trolls are quick to place the entire company and I in dirty, smelly sacks and all the while, argue over how they want to cook us. I can barely hear any of their argument. All I can hear is my heart pounding wildly and painfully against my chest. Is this how it's going to end? By being cooked alive and eaten? Where the _hell_ is Gandalf?

The trolls continue to argue for several minutes until they all seem to agree on something. Frankly, I don't want to know what it is. It must be bad, because the dwarves around me are crying in outrage.

"No good roasting 'em now, it'd take all night," one of the trolls say. At least, I think it's one of the trolls...

"Don't start the argument all over again, Bill," another trolls says, a groan in the back of his throat, "or it _will_ take all night."

"Who's a -arguing?" I swear, I did not see any of the trolls say that.

"You are," one troll accuses to the other. They argue _again_. This time, I listen in absolute horror as they decide to mince us up into pieces and boil us.

_I think I'm going to be sick... _

"No good boiling 'em! We ain't got no water, and it's a long way to the well and all." Again, I don't see any of the trolls saying this, but they don't seem to realize that because they, once again, start to argue.

"Now stop it! The night's gettin' on and dawn comes early. I don't fancy being turned to stone."

Hold on, does that mean...

"Wait!" I turn my head to see Bilbo hopping up onto his feet through the sack. "You are making a terrible mistake!"

"You can't reason with them, they're half wits!" Dori shouts.

"I meant with the, uh, with the seasoning." Immediately, I catch on to what Bilbo is doing. He's stalling.

"What about the seasoning?" grumbles one of the trolls.

"Well have you smelt them? You're going to need something incredibly strong before you plate this lot up." And, apparently, the dwarves have _not_ caught on. They start to shout at Bilbo with angry scowls on their faces.

"Shut up," I whisper-shout at them. I notice Thorin next to me so I crane my head closer to him. "Thorin, they turn to stone in the sunlight. Bilbo's _stalling_." Understanding my words, Thorin proceeds to kick at the dwarves at his feet, effectively shutting them up.

Something up on the trees catches my eye, something grey.

Oh, thank God. It's Gandalf.

"This little ferret is taking us for fools!" yells a troll.

"Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!" I recognize Gandalf's booming voice just as a loud crack resonates through the air. Sunlight penetrates through the darkness and I watch in amazement as, one by one, the trolls turn to stone. It doesn't take long before the dwarves are cheering. Me? I'm still trying to calm my racing heartbeat. This is the closest to death I've _ever_ been.

Bilbo helps me out of the sack and I give him a grateful smile. "That was clever Bilbo. Thanks."

"No trouble," he responds.

"Are you alright, Evelyn? You look very pale." Kili is in front of me, a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine," I tell him.

"There's a bit of dirt on your cheek," he says. My pulse quickens as Kili brings a hand up and uses his thumb to wipe off whatever dirt is on my face. His touch has my breath hitching in my throat. My mouth parts open, my eyes staring into his dark ones. Oh good God, he's gorgeous.

"Kili! Evelyn!" Fili stands a few yards away. I can tell he's fighting off a smirk and my cheeks begin to flame. "We're finding the troll hoard!"

"Troll hoard?" I ask in confusion. Kili gives me an excited smile and takes my arm, pulling me towards the rest of the company.

"Yes, Evelyn, troll hoard."

_What does _that_ mean? _

* * *

><p><strong>So, this chapter turned out to be a little more filler than I thought, but at least I got to the troll scene! As you can tell, I'm using a mix of the book verse and movie verse, so I'm sorry to those who haven't read the book yet. <strong>

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think!  
><strong>


	8. Dances with Wargs

The stench is unbearable.

I had taken a piece of left over fabric from when I trimmed my shirt sleeves and I now have it placed over my mouth and nose, but even that couldn't mask the heavy, lingering odor from the trolls. It's almost toxic.

The cave had been covered by a stone door, one that was much too thick for us to break down with weapons, but Bilbo had stumbled across the key, buried beneath drying leaves and we were able to open the cave. We were not prepared for the stink that assaulted our noses.

However, as bad as the smell is, the content of the hoard is almost worth it. Gold coins litter the ground along with small jewels. Clothes are hung up on the dingy walls, ones that must have belonged to past victims. There is food too, a lot of it. A few dwarves, Gloin, Nori, and Bofur, are digging up a hole to bury a chest while Dwalin rolls his eyes at the greedy bunch. My eyes don't search for treasure.

I had already picked up two fair sized daggers, placing one in my boot and the other in the side of my bag. A had also found a small flint knife which I figured could come in handy. But there is something else I search for. Specifically, a wooden item.

An object resembling a feather sticks up from the ground in the far corner of the cave. Without hesitating, I run over, hoping, _praying_, that it's what I think it is. I pull at the feathered object until it gives and I release a happy grin. It's exactly what I thought it was, an arrow. If there's one arrow here, there must be more lying around somewhere.

Thorin and Gandalf decide to rest outside of the cave for a bit considering we hadn't actually slept; we were too busy almost being eaten. This gives me time to search through the cave for more arrows and, possibly, a bow.

"Evelyn, you should rest." Kili walks up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"I will, I just have to find something first."

"Find what?"

"More arrows," I say showing him the one I found. "And a bow." He nods.

"I'll help you then." For the next twenty minutes, both Kili and I scour the entire cave, finding more and more arrows and even a quiver to place them in, but none of us find a bow.

"Dammit," I mutter angrily. What's the point in carrying arrows when I don't even have a bow to shoot them with?

"Evelyn, over here!" Kili shouts. I sprint towards Kili with anticipation. There, in his hands, is a beautifully decorated bow. The wood is pale, almost white, intricate patterns and designs engraved into the upper and lower limbs. My eyes grow wide with excitement. I have a bow!

"Thank you, Kili!" Before I can think about what I'm doing, I attack the handsome dwarf in a hug, wrapping my arms around his neck and effectively startling him. I don't give him a chance to hug back. My cheeks go a little red as I pull back, a bit embarrassed at how I, quite literally, threw myself at him. "Sorry...uh, thanks...yeah, thanks," I say rather awkwardly. I ignore Kili's surprised expression and practically _run_ out of the cave.

_Why do I humiliate myself like this?_ I bite back a groan.

Bombur had set up another fire and is now frying bacon over the flames. The small barrel of ale that had been found among the food is nearly gone and it's very clear who may have had a bit too much. Raucous, drunken laughter echos around the clearing outside the cave. I sit myself down in between Gloin and Ori, hoping that I might be able to at least talk to one of them and get to know them better.

"Hey, guys," I greet to the two dwarves.

"Mornin' lass," Gloin greets back just as Ori replies with a soft, "Hello, miss Evelyn."

"How're you doing?"

"Very good," they both say at the same time. "Tired," continues Ori.

"Me too," I yawn. "So, find anything good in the cave?"

"Nothing to my fancy," Gloin says. "But it seems you have." He looks down at the bow in my lap.

"Oh, yeah. Pretty isn't it?" Gloin nods in agreement.

"Let's just hope you don't have to use it." I press my lips into a firm line.

"Let's hope," I whisper.

I abandon my attempt at trying to make friends, my mind is too focused on the very good chance that we may run into more danger. I sit away from the rest of the group at the edge of the clearing, needing a bit of space. As happy as I am that I found a bow and arrows to go with it, I am completely aware of the fact that this is no compound bow. I've shot with a traditional bow before, and while I'm not horrible at using them, my aim is not as accurate. If I want to be successful with this weapon, I have to practice.

My eyes are drooping against my will the more I stare at the bow in my hands. I guess practicing will have to wait then. Not even bothering to get comfortable, I lay myself flat on the ground and let my eyes win the sleepy battle. I'm drifting off, my thoughts slowly jumbling into nonsense, but something brings me back to consciousness. A quiet rustling far off in the trees, gradually getting louder. I briefly wonder if it's just an animal.

And then I hear shouting.

"Uh, guys!" I scramble up to my feet and rush over to the group, their heads turning towards me. "There's something in the trees coming this way!" The shouting is getting louder and I can see something moving in between the trees.

"Stay together, arm yourselves!" Gandalf shouts. My eyes seek out Bilbo to see him standing next to the wizard, to my relief, and then they look for someone else. My body collides with another, arms pulling my waist so that I'm standing behind them and I recognize Kili's blue leather coat.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" a voice cries out. My attention is immediately trained on the incredibly large rabbits tied to some sort of sleigh and my eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. But what's even more puzzling is the man _on_ the sleigh. He's dressed, head to toe, in brown. Even his beard his brown with a few grey streaks lined in the knotted mass.

_Is that bird poop on his face? _

"Radagast!" Gandalf's face is now graced with a relieved smile as he lowers his staff. "Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you Gandalf," Radagast replies in a shaky, skittering manner. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?" Radagast opens his mouth to say something, but quickly shuts it, a muddled look coming across his face.

"Just give me a minute. Oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was right there, on the tip of my tongue!" Suddenly, his eyes widen, and his tongue curls up. "Oh, it's not the thought at all; it's just a little...stick insect."

All the while he's talking, Gandalf is reaching into his mouth and pulling out a bug.

"Oh my God, _ew_," I mutter under my breath. Kili turns his head towards me to give me an amused smiled. "Am I the only one who found that disgusting?"

"It was rather odd," he muses. His eyes avert to the bow I'm still gripping onto. "Did you try it out yet?"

"No," I shook my head. "I was going to try and sleep, but then we were interrupted."

"Who was interrupted, now?" Fili walks over to his brother and I notice a wary look in his eyes which he is trying to mask.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "Is something wrong?" He shakes his head.

"Just a bad feeling. Almost like we're being watched." My stomach churns at his words.

"Well, that's...comforting."

"Don't worry, Evelyn," Fili says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Kili and I will look out for you. We all will." I give him a weak smile in return, but it quickly drops at the sound of a loud, distant howl.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asks nervously.

Bofur is the one who answers him. "Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." My eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a large, mangy beast on the rocks above us.

"Look out!" I scream as it jumps down to attack Bofur. Dwalin is quick to run to his aid, driving his axe in to the beast's skull. I heave at the sickening crack the impact makes. Another growl rips through the air and I hear something roughly hit the ground behind me. I whip my body around, my heart lodging in my throat when I see a similar animal coming straight for me. I can't even bring myself to scream, I only stand there, paralyzed with fear.

An arrow is shot, embedding itself in the knotted fur of the wolf-like creature while Thorin hacks away at it with his sword. I don't think I've ever felt so useless in my life. Was I really that stupid enough to think I could protect anyone in this company and actually help them with this journey? If that arrow had not been shot, I would have been that creatures lunch.

Dear God.

"Warg-scouts!" Thorin shouts. "Which means an orc-pack is not far behind."

"Orc-pack?" Bilbo and I say at the same time.

_Breathe, Evelyn. Breathe. _

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf demands to Thorin.

"No one." Gandalf does not look convinced.

"Who did you tell?"

"No one, I swear!" Thorin stresses. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted." I'm trying extremely hard not to visibly hyperventilate.

_Remember, you are a dwarf. You are brave. _

"We have to get out of here," Dwalin says with panic. If Dwalin's panicked, this must really be bad.

"We can't!" cries Ori. "We have no ponies; they bolted!"

"I'll draw them off," Radagast declares. I bring my hand back and feel for the dagger that sits in the side pocket of my bag, forcing myself to take deep breaths. My heart is pounding against my chest in utter fear and my head is pulsing with the force. I feel my hands shaking slightly, but I will myself to void my face of any emotion. I don't want any of the dwarves to see my fear. Brave, that's what I must be. I promised I would prove myself to Thorin and to the company and I don't break my promises.

"These are Gundabad Wargs, they will outrun you!" Gandalf says to Radagast.

"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits," the brown wizard states with conviction. "I'd like to see them try."

And with that, we are running.

_Finally, something I'm _good_ at. _

Running has always been a passion of mine, a way to pass the time and stay in shape. I loved it, just as much I had loved the forest and pretending to adventure through the trees. But now I can say, there is a very big difference between running recreationally and running for your life. This time, I am _not_ enjoying my run.

The mix of fear and adrenaline is making it hard to breathe properly. My feet are aching from the lack of support from the leather boots I'm wearing and my backpack is slamming into my back, painfully, over and over again. Although, I'm able to keep up with the front of the group, I'm not sure how much longer I'll last. We stop behind a large boulder for a few seconds before taking off again. My legs slow in their movement and I'm now struggling to keep up.

"C'mon, Evelyn!" Kili yells as he grabs my arm. I can hear the growls and grunts of the wargs and thick, raspy shouts in some sort of rough language not far from us. Another few minutes of running and we stop behind another boulder. But we're not alone. I can hear the sound of claws scratching and clacking against the rock above us along with the high pitch screech of a sword being drawn from his scabbard. I attempt to quiet my breathing.

My attention is drawn to Kili who looks down, his arm reaching behind him to grab an arrow. I watch as he silently notches the arrow and runs back, gracefully shooting at the warg that jumps at him.

And, I'm slightly ashamed to say, I couldn't help but be madly attracted to him in that moment.

My admiration filled gaze is completely broken when I see the _thing_ that was riding on top of the warg. I have never seem something so frightening, besides the wargs, in all my life. It charges at us, Gloin and a few others quickly taking it down. I turn my head away from the scene.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf commands, once again. We're running even faster now and I don't have to look back to know that the orcs are now chasing us. A clearing comes into view, a large boulder right in our line of running. Movement to my left has me whipping my head in that direction, only to see three wargs and their riders coming at us. It's the same on my right.

We're surrounded. I see Kili shooting at the orcs, but I can't bring myself to do the same. I'd only miss. Thundering footsteps grow louder and louder at my right side. My eyes widen in horror as a warg bounds towards me, fangs bared and ready to go in for the kill. My hand scrambles for the dagger in my backpack. Just as I grab it, I'm forcefully pushed to the ground, the fearsome creature hovering over me and looking right into my frightened eyes.

_Do something, Evelyn! _

With a loud cry I raise my dagger clad hand and bring it down into the warg's head as hard as I can. A great, heavy weight, slams down onto my body, knocking the air out of my lungs. I try to lift the dead warg off of me, but my arms are too weak. All the blood drains from my face when I see the ugly, marred face of the orc rider appearing from the back of the dead animal, a dirty knife in it's hand. It brings the knife down to stab me and I attempt to move to the side to avoid it. However, I didn't move over far enough because the knife digs into the very edge of my top shoulder. A pained scream rips from my throat as the orc brings the knife up again to kill me. In the moment I think will be my last, I hear someone shout my name.

"Evelyn!" An arrow is suddenly ripping through the neck of the orc, killing it and adding extra weight to the already heavy load that is crushing my body.

"Shit," I croak painfully. I can feel the warm blood oozing from my wound which screams in protest as I try, in vain, to remove myself from underneath the warg.

"Evelyn." I turn my head to see Thorin, of all people, coming to my aid. He, with my help, rolls the warg off of me and helps me to my feet.

"Are you alright?" he asks gruffly. I nod in response and follow him to the boulder where a hidden entrance lay, sliding down the rough rock and into Dwalin who steadies me.

"You're hurt, lass," he says, taking notice of my shoulder wound.

"I'll be fine," I assure him. I'm feeling far from fine, though. My shoulder burns and stings, my body aches from the pressure of the warg crushing me, and my chest is heaving from the amount of energy I used up.

"Evelyn," Kili breathes as he reaches for me. I allow him to swallow me up in a hug, taking comfort in his woodsy scent. "Evelyn, your shoulder." He's looking at the blood stained fabric of my sweater with alarm.

"It's no big deal, Kili. Really, it's not even that deep."

"Oin!" Kili calls, ignoring my protests. "Do you have a bandage on you?" The healer hobbles his way over to us, his eyes narrowing at my shoulder.

"Seriously, it's not that bad," I try to say, but Oin cuts me off.

"Lass, you were cut with an orc blade. It may not be that deep but the poison and dirt from the blade could cause an infection. I'll have to clean it." Before Oin could say anymore, something comes tumbling down the rock and onto the ground at our feet; an orc. An arrow is stuck in it's stomach.

I watch in disturbed fascination as Thorin rips the arrow from the dead orc and scowls at it.

"Elves," he says with disgust.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads!" shouts Dwalin. "Do we follow it or no?"

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur replies. I'm semi-relieved that everyone has changed their attention from my shoulder. The fact that I'm the only one wounded is bad enough, already. I don't need them fussing over it and destroying what little chance I have of proving myself worthy for the rest of the journey.

We follow a narrow, rocky pathway for quite a while. I attempt to ignore the burning in my shoulder and keep my eyes focused in front of me, completely aware of Kili's concerned glances my way. Bilbo and Gandalf walk next to each other at the back of the group, so I allow myself to fall back to meet with them.

"Is your shoulder alright?" Bilbo asks with worry.

"I mean, it stings a little. But I'll be fine. How are you, Bilbo? Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, fine," he replies while nodding his head.

"I have to say I'm impressed, miss Wolf," comes Gandalf's rumbling voice. "Your first adventure and you've managed to kill a warg all by yourself. Not many have succeeded in doing what you just did." My face contorts into a grimace.

"It was terrifying," I whisper.

"Facing death is always terrifying."

We walk in silence for a while, the aches in my body growing more and more uncomfortable. My feet are blistered, as well, and all I can think about is a soft, comfortable mattress and a good movie. For once, I'm actually _really_ missing home.

"There's a light, up ahead!" one of the dwarves shouts. I try to peek over the tops of their heads, but to no avail. Whatever magic brought me here cursed me with the shortest dwarf body _ever._

The pathway leads out of the rocks, revealing an absolutely breathtaking sight. A large, open house of some sort lays in the middle of a low valley. Trees and greenery surrounds it along with a beautiful waterfall that leads to a crystal clear stream. I notice how the place seems to glow with an ethereal light. It's almost..._magical_. I have never seen anything like it.

"The Valley of Imraldis," says Gandalf. "In the Common Tongue it's known by another name."

I look down at Bilbo who is staring at the sight with amazement. A familiar name rolls off of his tongue.

"Rivendell."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so, I'm seriously struggling with the next chapter because I <em>had<em> an idea, but I'm not sure if I still want to use it or not. Because of my struggling, I apologize if it takes me a while to post chapter 9. Besides that, I literally have like the rest of the story almost completely mapped out in my head and I'm SO excited to get it down on paper. **

**Please review! I'm always open to criticism and friendly pointers. **

**Thank you for reading (: **


	9. Food Fight Club

Everything about Rivendell is absolutely stunning; the view, the sounds, even the scent is intoxicating. It's almost like a computer animation with the way it glows, the way it seems to _breathe_. The further into the valley we walk, the more I'm blown away by the magnificence of this place. I remember Rivendell as vaguely as I had remembered hobbits and orcs. It's an elven house if I'm not mistaken. A name is coming to the forefront of my mind; however, it's foggy. A Lord El-something...

I decide to let it go and continue to marvel. But it seems Bilbo and I are the only ones who are truly admiring Rivendell. Thorin seems as though he'd rather take on the orcs again than be here. As for the rest of the company, faint and unsettled scowls are etched onto their faces. By the way Thorin had basically cursed the word "elves" in the hidden cave, I can only assume that he holds some sort of grudge against them. Apparently the whole company does.

"C'mon," Kili says under his breath, grabbing me by the arm. I had been walking slower along with Bilbo and we were lagging behind the group. Kili pulls me closer towards him and I don't object. _Who would?_

We pass underneath a large archway covered with beautifully blossomed vines and approach a large set of stone stairs. Someone, who I'm guessing is an elf, glides down the stairs as if he's floating, a graceful aura emitting from his tall figure.

"Mithrandir," the elf says in a foreign tongue. It seems he's addressing Gandalf because the wizard walks towards the elf with a smile.

"Ah, Lindir," he greets. The elf does not return the smile. Instead, he says something in a language I'm not familiar with.

"What language is he speaking?" I ask Kili quietly. He gives me a funny look.

"Elven, of course. Are you not familiar with elves?"

"I'm not familiar with a lot of things in this world, Kili." He opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by the sound of a horn. I turn just in time to see a large group of elves on horses coming towards us. Thorin demands the company to move back and the next thing I know, hands are pushing me all the way to the back of the group, Kili making sure his is on my arm at all times. I can't help but feel giddy by his protectiveness.

Gandalf greets an older looking elf with a regal appearance and speaks to him in what Kili had told me is elven language. I pick up on the name, Lord Elrond. That's what his name is!

"Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near," Lord Elrond says.

"Ah, that may have been us," Gandalf replies a bit sheepishly. The lord elf turns to us, his eyes fixed on Thorin.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain," he greets kindly.

"I do not believe we have met." Thorin's voice is gruff and not very polite.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled over the mountain."

"Indeed, he made no mention of you." Elrond narrows his eyes at Thorin before speaking in his elf language.

"What is he saying?" bellows Gloin. "Does he offer us insult?" The dwarves begin to grumble and mutter along with him.

"No, master Gloin, he is offering you food," Gandalf says sternly. The group huddles together as if they really mean to discuss the matter. Me, on the other hand, I'm more than willing to take up his offer.

"Oh, well, in that case, lead on," the red haired dwarf replies. We begin to walk up the steps when the voice of the regal elf stops us.

"You brought along a dwarven lady? And a beardless one at that." I turn towards Lord Elrond.

"Evidently. My name is Evelyn. Evelyn Wolf." The elf nods with a knowing look, eyes assessing me with an expression I can't name. It's not exactly surprise, but close to it; almost like recognition. That's ridiculous though. I've never met this guy before. How could he possibly recognize me? Elrond continues to stare at me, before his eyes avert to my injured shoulder.

"We have healers who may mend your wound, miss Wolf, if you would follow me." I'm about to walk towards him, but the grumbling of the dwarves stops me along with Oin's not-so-polite response.

"We take care of our own. Nobody will be touching her wound but me." I hear a few of the dwarves around him mumble in agreement. I smile despite my discomfort, completely blown away by the fact that they care so much for me even though I've literally done _nothing_ to help them in any way so far. Vaguely, I recall Gandalf telling me about dwarven woman, how they are incredibly protected by the dwarf men. It's nice to know that, even without a beard, they still accept me as one of them.

Elrond smiles as well, as if expecting this type of reaction. "Very well, master dwarf, I will lead you and Lady Evelyn to the healing rooms where you may tend to her." Oin walks up to my side and, together, we follow the elf to a large, open room with multiple soft looking beds neatly lined in a row. It reminds me of a hospital ward only less white and more comfortable.

"Here you are. If you need any supplies, there are medicine and wraps in the cupboards at the far wall."

"Thank you," I say to Elrond. He nods and walks off leaving me alone with Oin.

"Alright, lass, sit down." I sit as still as possible while Oin cleans the knife wound on my shoulder. I know he's trying to be as gentle as he can, but it still burns and stings and I fight to contain pain filled grunts from escaping my mouth.

"Lass, you're going to need a couple stitches."

"Oh, God," I whimper under my breath. For the next ten minutes, Oin continues to shove a needle through my separated skin while I continue to bite down on my lip, eventually drawing blood. The dwarf occassionally whispers a few apologies as he works.

"There. All done." I let out the breath I had been holding in, glad that it's over.

"Thanks, Oin. I really appreciate it." I give the healer a wide smile which grows even larger when I see him holding his funny trumpet to his ear. He smiles back.

"Oh, don't mention it. Only doing my duty." The both of us clean up the mess and walk out of the healing room. An elf stands outside the door and informs us that he is meant to escort us to dinner.

"Say, lassie," Oin begins as we walk. "What's got on between you and young Kili?" My face turns beet red at his question. So it's not just Fili who has noticed...

"Uh, well, I-uh, we're just, um, friends?"

_Yeah, that's convincing. _

"Oh, come now, I see how ye looks at him and the way Kili looks at you." My eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. I mean, yeah, I sometimes look at Kili. He's attractive, how couldn't I? But that doesn't mean anything is going to happen from it, right?

"Really, Oin. We're just friends," I say to convince him. It doesn't work.

"There's nothing wrong with it, lassie. In fact, it would be good for the young prince to have someone looking out for him. Quite the reckless one, he is." Whoa, did he just say _prince_?

"Kili's a prince?" I ask incredulously. Oin turns to me, puzzlement in his eyes.

"Of course! Him and Fili. You didn't know this?" By now we are in the 'dining room' and there is Kili, sitting next to his brother, a glorious smile on his handsome face.

"I had no idea," I whisper. I debate on whether I want to sit next to Kili, but considering I now know that a few of the dwarves are suspicious of Kili and I, I change course and sit myself next to Bilbo.

"All healed up?" the hobbit asks.

"Yup," I reply, popping the 'p.' "Hurt like hell though."

"I can imagine."

Elves carrying bowls of food and jars of wine file out into the open room, placing our meal and drinks onto the table. I watch in fascination as the elf next to me begins to pour me a glass of wine, but then I remember that it's Middle Earth. I highly doubt they have a drinking age here.

When the elves leave, the complaining begins.

"Where's the meat?" Dwalin asks with disappointment. All of the food on the table is earthy and healthy, not that I care too much. I'm used to eating healthy as prissy as that sounds. Of course, I indulged occasionally (I have an unnatural obsession with KitKats which I have a feeling I won't be able to find here), but for the most part, I'm accustomed to fruits and vegetables as my go-to diet. With a content smile on my face, I happily dig into the large fruit bowl right in front of me, fishing out a pear and an apple.

"Have they got any chips?" I hear Ori ask. Soft music plays behind me, three elves playing the harp and some sort of flute. I notice immediately how beautiful the one elf is who plays the harp. Her eyes are a striking blue and her face is flawless. Apparently, I'm not the only one who notices her beauty because the first thing I see when I turn back around, is Kili staring right at her. And then he winks at her. He _winks_. Something in me boils up to the surface, angering me further.

Oh, God, I'm _jealous_. I don't even pay attention to Kili trying to cover up his blatant act, I'm too busy trying to mask my fuming. Why the hell am I getting jealous? It's not like we're together or anything. He's a dwarf prince and I'm...well, me. Seriously, I'm deluding myself.

"Everything alright, Evelyn?" I turn my head to Bilbo and nod, attempting to smile, although, I'm sure it comes out as more of a grimace.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Bilbo gives me a suspicious look.

"Has this got anything to do with Kili?" Even _he_ thinks something's up? Jesus Christ.

"No!" I practically shout out quickly. "Why would you think that?" The hobbit only stares at me with the 'I'm not stupid' look.

"Come now, I'm not daft. I see the way you look at him. You like him, it's obvious." I stare down at the half eaten pear on my plate, my cheeks burning.

"Oh, God," I mutter, cradling my head in my hands.

"He looks at you the same way, you know." I shoot my head up and gape at Bilbo.

"I doubt it," I tell him. He only shrugs and takes a sip of his wine.

"Think what you want, Evelyn. I know love when I see it." _That_ has me sputtering like a madwoman. Before I can retort, Bofur makes a big show of clearing his portion of the table and standing up onto it.

"What are you-" I'm cut off by Bofur beginning to sing. Yes, _sing_.

_There's an inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn _

_beneath an old grey hill, _

_ And there they brew a beer so brown_

_That the Man in the Moon himself came down_

_One night to drink his fill._

I see Kili, out of the corner of my eye, throw something at Fili, who, in return, takes a handful of whatever is on his plate and throw it right back at his brother. Thus, a food fight breaks out.

_The ostler has a tipsy cat_

_that plays a five-stringed fiddle;_

_And up and down he runs his bow,_

_Now squeaking high, now purring low,_

_Now sawing in the middle._

Bilbo and I duck our heads in order to avoid getting salad thrown in our faces, but I'm much too late. Something green and chunky hits me right between the eyes and runs down my nose. I open my eyes to see a sheepish Nori at the end of the table, an apologetic, yet amused look on his face.

_Oh, it's on. _

I waste no time in grabbing a handful of something gooey in a bowl next to me and aim it right at Nori's face. It hits him in the middle of his forehead, some getting in his hair and I start to laugh. Its's clear that the dwarves were not expecting my participation, but hey, I'm only nineteen. I'm still a kid at heart.

Dwalin reaches over to give me a friendly smack on the shoulder shouting, "Good one, lassie!" And then I smile, because in that moment, I had never felt so accepted in my life. I feel like I belong somewhere.

My smile drops, though, when my eyes meet Kili's. I'm still a bit angry, even though I really have no right to be. He has the right to flirt with whoever he wants to, but I just assumed that, considering he seems to keep an eye on me the most, maybe he felt something towards me as well. Clearly, that's not the case. I look away quickly, my good mood dwindling while Bofur and the others continue to sing.

_So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,_

_a jig that would wake the dead:_

_He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,_

_While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:_

_'It's after three!' he said. _

The dwarves cheer loudly, Gloin putting his hand on my shoulder and shaking in a celebratory manner. I try to smile again, I do, but something else happens. The sounds of the dwarves muffles in my ears, a sort of ringing replacing them. Everything seems to move in slow motion and I briefly catch Kili's concerned gaze.

_What in the world is happening?_

My head turns back towards Gandalf and Lord Elrond, who both look at me as if they know what's happening. And that's when I hear it; the voice.

"Evelyn Wolf." My eyes move around wildly to see if anyone else is affected by this, but it seems like I'm the only one hearing the voice. It's all very Harry Potter-ish, to be honest. Is this the part when Voldemort emerges from the shadows to duel with me?

"I desire your council." I'm amazed, shocked, nervous, scared, all of these at once. Who desires my council and what's with the dramatics?

As quickly as it happened, my hearing comes back and everything is normal again. I find myself standing up quite abruptly which earns me a few looks from the dwarves.

"Evelyn?" I ignore Bilbo and make my way over to Gandalf and Elrond, my stomach clenching.

"What the hell was that?" I hiss. The wizard and the elf share a knowing look before Gandalf stands up from the table.

"Come with me, miss Wolf. There is someone who wishes to speak with you."

* * *

><p><strong>I said it would be a while, but I clearly lied... I know it's short and all; however, it's a little somethin-somethin to tide you guys over. <strong>

**Ooooo Evelyn's gettin' jealouuussss (; **

**Thank you for reviewing and keep it up! I like criticism and encouragement! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Evelyn Twist

I follow Gandalf hesitantly, curious, yet nervous. The shock of what had just occurred has me silent and slightly shaking. What I don't understand is why this person (if it even is a person) couldn't just come out and get me like any other normal person would do. True, I've learned to expect the unexpected in a world like this, but still, why go all mysterious, supernatural on me?

"You have nothing to fear, Evelyn," Gandalf says as if reading my mind. His words are meant to reassure me, but it doesn't really work.

"Where exactly are you taking me?"

"You have been summoned by Lady Galadriel, guardian of Lothlórien and the greatest of the Eldar."

"She sounds pretty important," I state, a bit intimidated. "What does she want with me?"

"I am not quite sure, but, like I said, you have nothing to fear. It is a possibility that she sensed your arrival to Middle-Earth and is merely curious."

"Sensed my arrival? How can she sense my arrival?"

"Lady Galadriel is powerful and has the gift of foresight. I do not doubt she may have seen your presence here before you even came." We stop outside of a large set of double doors made of pale stone, ornate and intricately decorated like the rest of the elven house. "Here is where I leave you. I trust you will be able to find your way back?"

I only nod at the wizard as I try to steady by increased heart rate. Gandalf gives me one last reassuring smile before walking off and leaving me alone to face this 'powerful guardian.' When he is out of sight and after taking a deep breath, I push open the doors and step into another open room. The ceiling-if that's what you want to call it-is incredibly high with the center cut out, revealing the shimmering daylight. A large cauldron of some sorts stands in the middle of the room with stone steps surrounding it. Besides that and the rich green shrubbery lining the walls, I see nothing else in the room. I'm alone, or so I think.

"Your coming here was rather unexpected, Evelyn Wolf." I jump at the sound of a female voice behind me and turn around to face the most beautiful woman I think I've ever laid eyes upon. Her hair is the color of sunlight, soft and wavy, reaching down to her hips. Her face is flawless, almost like she had been photo-shopped in real life, with a radiance that surpasses any actress or singer I thought to be abnormally gorgeous back home. A bright silver headdress adorns her fair head, and a glittering white dress covers her tall, slim figure. She doesn't even seem _real._

"Whoa," I breath with eyes wide, but I immediately close my gaping mouth, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "Sorry," I cough. "You're just really pretty." Her shell pink lips curl into a smile. I swear, if I wasn't head over heels for Kili (or completely, one hundred percent straight), I would totally be crushing on this woman. "Uhm, you...wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Lady Galadriel breathes. Even her _voice_ is beautiful. "I've waited for your arrival in Rivendell. It appears that, as unexpected as it was, your coming here was meant to be."

"Gandalf said something similar when I first met him. He said something about me coming here for a reason; my destiny."

"You were brought here by a power far greater than anyone on Middle-Earth can understand. I have only seen this happen once before, thousands of years ago when these lands were threatened by a dark force we dare not speak of." This piques my interest.

"You mean, someone like me, from another world, came to Middle-Earth?" Galadriel nods.

"A man, claiming to be from a land called Germany, appeared in the kingdom of Lindon in the Second Age. He had claimed to be human, but his appearance said he was of the elven race."

"And what happened to him?"

"He befriended Gil-galad, High King of the Ñoldor and, eventually, aided him and the king of Gondor in forming the Last Alliance. Such a thing was unknown to us; we had no knowledge of why he had been sent to Middle-Earth, why he came in the form of an elf, nor what his sole purpose was in the Last Alliance. Some say he was the reason Isildur, heir to the throne of Gondor, survived the battle. They also say he had fought to protect the fallen body of Gil-galad. It is all very unclear. Either way, his arrival in Middle-Earth certainly meant something. Without him, things could have gone very differently."

I honestly don't understand half of the terms she's using, but the message is clear; this guy had helped form a battle plan and, indefinitely, changed the history of Middle-Earth. Is that why I was brought here? To change history? The thought suddenly has my heart racing. Me, change history? How the hell could I possibly do that?

"So, what you're saying is that I'm here to change the future?" I'm starting to feel faint. Galadriel doesn't answer, only walks past me with more grace than a ballerina, and stops at the cauldron-y thing in the middle of the room.

"The answer lies in the mirror. I know not of how much will be revealed to you, but I know that it will show you all you need." I'm seriously wigging out at this point. I have a slight inclination as to what she means by 'looking into the mirror,' but the idea of possibly seeing the future is making me incredibly tense. Slowly, cautiously, I approach the stone steps leading to the basin. Crystal clear water is all I see inside, completely still and reflecting my dirty, anxious face. Then, it begins to ripple. My reflection wavers and deflects as the water moves faster and faster. Something strange happens then, my face is no longer seen through the water's surface; no, the picture is changing. Trees and fire, that's all I can make out. Something moves, a person running, sword in hand and a broken branch covering their face. A white warg swiftly meets him, clamping it's jaws around the man's body and I recognize the figure as Thorin. But before I can see anymore, the picture changes again.

A face slowly comes into view, scruffy, rugged, handsome; _Kili_. He's drenched in water, running up stone steps. An orc meets him, Kili quickly pushing the foul creature out of his way. He's running towards a lever, arms outstretched and ready to take hold of it when an arrow enters his right thigh. I watch in horror as he falls to the ground in pain. I want to scream, but no sound escapes me. My eyes are glued to the changing scene with no intention of looking away.

It's Kili again, only he's incredibly pale and thrashing about a small bed while Fili and Oin tend to him. He looks like he's dying. I see a glimpse of the wound on his leg. It's black and bloodied, an intense infection spreading around the festering intrusion. Oh God, _Kili_.

That's not it, though. The picture changes, once again, slowly coming into view until I'm looking at a battle scene. Bodies are strewn across the blood-stained ground, those who are still alive and fighting stepping onto the dead limbs. Orcs pour into the scene while dwarven warriors meet them head on. I see other warriors, taller than the dwarves. Some are clad in shining armor while others are covered in old, ragged clothing. It's a disgusting sight, terrifying and bloody. I start to wonder why exactly this battle is being shown to me when I my eyes zero in on one of the fallen; Thorin. Blood stains the clothing around his abdomen, gashes and cuts adorning his face and arms. He looks dead, but I can see his eyes moving, which are cast up to the sky. He's not dead yet, but he's close to it. And then I see Kili flanked by his brother, fighting off a fearsome looking orc.

_They're protecting Thorin,_ I realize. It's gut wrenching, watching Thorin slowly die while his nephews fight off whoever nears his body. But nothing prepares me for what I see next. An arrow, long and black, hurtles towards Fili, digging into his chest. He falters ever so slightly, before falling onto his back, dead. The look of rage and anguish on Kili's face is something I never want to witness again. Tears form at the corners of my eyes, burning and stinging as I watch Kili charge towards Fili's killer. He fights bravely, with a powerful force that could only derive from one seeking revenge, revenge for the one they love. But it's not enough. The orc catches Kili off guard and drives his sword deep into Kili's stomach.

No. No, no, no ,no, no. Not Kili. No, he can't die. He can't die!

The next thing I know, I'm falling off of the steps and onto my back with a loud thud. The tears I fought to keep at bay are now pouring down my face. A heart-broken sob escapes past my lips and my head falls into my hands.

"No, no," I sob. "They can't die like that! They just can't! They shouldn't have to!"

"You're right, Evelyn. They shouldn't have to. But that is why you are here." My head snaps up to Galadriel, a look of disbelief and horror on my face.

"You honestly think that I, alone, can save them? That's why I'm here? That's what I'm supposed to change?" Too much, it's too much.

"You would not have been brought here if fate deemed you incapable of the task at hand. Yes, it requires bravery, strength, and a willing heart, but you have all of those qualities, Evelyn Wolf." Galadriel makes her way towards me, her body seeming to glow much like the landscape around her. She bends down, and reaches her hand to me which I shakily take with my own, lifting me up as if I weighed absolutely nothing. "Even the smallest person, can change the course of the future," she says wisely. More tears fall down my red face.

"I don't understand. I'm just me, just Evelyn. I have no great skills to add to this journey. I've done nothing of value to help. How can I possibly save them?"

"That is a question that not even I can answer. Only you can answer it. You were given the opportunity to change the fate of this quest. You cannot turn back now or you risk the lives of the line of Durin." My heart is pounding against my chest and my breathing increases with every word she says to me.

"I-I need...I need...air," I gasp. Before Galadriel can say anymore, I run for the doors and burst out of the room. I don't know where I'm going, nor do I care. I can feel the onset of a panic attack coming on and I need somewhere quiet to just sit. To my complete humiliation, I see the company coming into my line of race-walking. My hand covers my face slightly and I ignore the questioning glances of the dwarves as I walk straight past them.

"Lass, everything okay?"

"Evelyn?" Hearing Kili call my name only makes it worse. I feel him behind me, so I run. I run hard and fast, away from him, away from the dwarves, away from _people_. Finding my way back will be a nightmare, but I couldn't care less at this point. My feet continue to carry my body down corridors, stairs, and into the damp grass that lay at the feet of the elven house. By the time I stop by what looks to be a maze of hedges, a grey stone bench sitting outside of the entrance, my chest is heaving. Sobs rack my body making my shoulders shake. I gasp for breath and my vision starts to dissipate. I can't see anything, I can't hear anything, I feel like I'm having a heart attack.

I thought I would only be accompanying these dwarves on their journey, to finally get a feel of what adventure is really like. I had thought I could handle the dangers that could possibly come our way. But this...this is not what I expected. Instead, I have managed to almost die twice, and now I just find out that I'm the one person who can determine the fate of Thorin, Fili, and Kili. Am I really up for this?

_You made a promise, Evelyn. Where's that loyalty you had felt so fiercely only days ago?_

I shake my head, my crying not letting up. The image of Thorin dying on the battlefield, Fili being shot by the arrow, of Kili being mercilessly skewered, it haunts my mind. How am I ever going to save them? I try to focus on my breathing. It feels as though my airways are closing up on me. I'm still unable to hear or see anything. Everything is muffled and fuzzy. This is, by far, the worst panic attack I have ever dealt with. Not even my own mother's death sparked an attack as bad as this one.

I barely notice the presence in front of me. Large hands grasp my own, gently pulling them from my face. Whoever it is speaks to me, but they're voice is distant and unintelligible, like a television with the volume on low. I allow my eyes to crack open, seeing nothing but fuzzy shapes at first, then, everything slowly comes into focus. A face is in front of mine, dark eyes clouded with concern and alarm, thin lips set in a frown.

_Kili. Oh, Kili._

Without a second thought, I fling myself at the dwarf, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. This time, I don't pull back. I need to touch him, feel him, know that he's here, alive and well. If Fili or Thorin were here, I'd probably end up dragging them into the hug too.

Kili is certainly taken aback, slightly, but after a few seconds, I feel his arms wrap around my torso, holding me tightly to him. My sobs have quieted into low whimpers and hiccups and my heart rate has gone down significantly. It's still going pretty fast, but that's only because I'm currently in the arms of an insanely attractive dwarf. Not even my panicked and anxiety induced mind can dull what I feel for Kili. It doesn't help that his hands are rubbing my back soothingly. Good God.

After another few minutes, I gently pull away from his hold and look down as I wipe the remainder of my tears from my eyes. That's when I feel the complete and utter mortification of Kili witnessing my complete mental breakdown. I'm supposed to be tough, brave, a dwarven woman. But right then, I was the complete opposite. How humiliating.

"Evelyn," Kili says. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," I hiccup, not daring to look up at him. "I, uhm, it was just a panic attack. You know, stress and stuff. I get them from time to time. It's no big deal, really."

"What is stressing you so?" I shrug.

"I don't think I can say. I was talking with someone and they told me some things that just...overwhelmed me, I guess."

"What were these things?"

"I would tell you if I could, Kili, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed too." Finally, I look up at Kili and watch him nod to my absolute relief. "I'm _really_ sorry that you had to see that. God, this is so embarrassing," I say with a humorless laugh. Kili offers me a weak smile.

"Do you get panic attacks often?"

"Not _often_. This was my first one in years. The last one I had was when my mother died."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he says sincerely. "What happened, if I may ask?" I sit up straighter, tears gone and breathing back to normal.

"Suicide," I answer. "She committed suicide." Kili looks alarmed at what I say. "It happened three years ago. She suffered from depression for the majority of my life. I rarely remember a time when she was actually happy."

"Do you miss her?" he asks quietly. I shrug once again.

"Sometimes. I wasn't really close with her. I wasn't really close with my dad either. She was always distant and sad. My dad loved her more than anything and had tried so hard to make her happy, to make her better. But I guess it wasn't enough. After she died, my dad grew even more distant with me. I look just like her, you know," I say with a smile. "Except for the eyes of course. Both of her eyes were the same shade as my green eye. No one knows where the blue one came from. Anyway, I could tell that seeing me, the spitting image of my mom, broke my dad's heart even more. He started to leave the house a lot and wouldn't come back for days. The sight of me hurt him." I say all of this without sadness. Yes, it hurt at first, but how can you be truly hurt by someone you never really looked up to, someone who was never there for you? I never really knew my parents, they were just there to make sure I was fed, clothed, and taught by the best private teacher they could find. They were nothing but strangers in my eyes.

Kili looks at me with something closely akin to understanding. I silently thank God that it's not pity. I can't handle pity.

"I lost my Da," he tells me. "I don't remember him, but I grew up on the stories my mother would tell me about him." I smile at Kili, happy that he's confiding in me, happy that I was able to confide in him, happy that he's alive and unharmed.

"Thank you, Kili. And, again, I'm sorry you had to see me break down like that."

"Eh," he says with a wave of his hand. "It happens to the best of us." I'm full out grinning now, marveling at his handsomeness. He's too perfect for his own good.

"Oi, what're you two doing?" Both Kili and I look over to see Nori, Bofur, Bombur, and Fili walking towards us.

"Just having a friendly chat," I say to them.

"Well," Fili starts, a smirk on his face, "we we're just going for a friendly stroll. Care to join? Or were you two having a moment?" My face flushes and Kili only smirks along with his brother while the others laugh. Oin and Bilbo's words from earlier echo in my head. Is it really _that_ obvious to everyone?

"Shut up, Fili," I mutter as I push him playfully. "So, are we gonna go on a 'friendly stroll' or what?" We spend the whole rest of the day exploring the grounds of Rivendell, laughing, joking, and having a wonderful time. Nori even teaches me how to pickpocket, a skill that he said, "I'm a natural at." I'm not sure if I should be proud or not, really.

"Remember," he whispers to me, "Don't spend too much time at his side or he'll know what you're up to. Swift and quick." I nod before readying myself into action. I start to walk fast, making my way towards an unsuspecting Fili. Just as I reach him, I allow my right side to bump into his left, my hand darting into his open pocket and swiping the first thing my fingers touched. Fili steadies me with a hearty laugh, completely oblivious to my actions.

"Watch yourself there, Evelyn, " he says. "You're supposed to be falling for my brother, not me." I hear Kili bark with laughter, the ass. How is he taking his brother's banter so lightly? My smile twists into a scowl as he winks and I abruptly turn myself around, effectively whipping him in the face with my hair.

"Did you get it?" Nori asks. I grin excitedly and show him what I was able to grab from Fili's pocket; a small smoking pipe. Nori silently cheers with Bofur, the latter patting me on the back.

"What I tell you? She's a born theif!" Nori cries proudly while Bombur only rolls his eyes letting out, "not another one."

_Just call me Evelyn Twist, everyone._

When we get back to our sleeping area, I go to find somewhere to bathe and change out of my stained sweater. My shoulder still stings a lot, but it's nothing I can't handle. I come back feeling clean and refreshed, my hair up and out of my face and the travel clothes I had bought back in Bree covering my freshly washed body. A fire is going in the middle of the room, a pan of sausage links frying up over the flames. I see Thorin walking over to the company as well and the image of him dying flashes in my mind, once again.

"Get some rest, all of you," he says. "We leave at first light." He weaves his way through the dwarves and walks past me, offering a slight nod in my direction.

"Thorin," I call before I can stop myself. He stops and turns to me, eyebrows raised. I realize, then, how _kingly_ he looks. The way he holds himself, the way he watches over the company, is nothing short of regal. And there it is, that loyalty I've been waiting for today; only now, it's loyalty to Thorin, to my king. "I wanted to thank you, for helping me earlier today. I know I haven't really proven myself yet, but I'm trying and I will prove myself useful. I...just wanted you to know." Thorin stands there, staring and assessing, an expression I can't name on his face. It's not doubt, thankfully. No, it's something else. But before I can think anything more, the expression is gone.

"Rest, Evelyn. We still have a long ways ahead of us." I nod at him respectfully and make my way into the circle of dwarves, settling beside Kili and Fili. A yawn escapes me as I sit. I hear Kili chuckle beside me.

"What? I'm tired," I defend with a smile.

"Get some sleep then. Here's a blanket," he says, handing me the same thick blanket that he had placed on me a few days ago.

"Thanks." My cheeks flush as he stares at me, a crooked smile at his lips. I look away quickly. "Uh, goodnight," I cough out awkwardly.

"Goodnight, Evelyn." It takes me a while to fall asleep as I keep getting the flashes of the three dwarves dying. As scared and frightened as I am, I know I had already made my decision the moment Kili had held me after my panic attack. Hell, I made the decision the night I first met all of the dwarves. I was chosen for this task, it would be selfish and cowardly for me to turn it down. There's no going back. I will find a way, I must.

As I'm drifting off, I feel, for the second time, a finger trail down my cheek, and a hand caress my hair soothingly. I know it's Kili and I wonder if he truly does see me the way I see him. There's no denying that I'm falling for him, hard. Moments before I slip away, I hear Fili curse.

"Where's my pipe?"

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, next one up. I'm trying my hardest to characterize all the dwarves and give Evelyn some time to get to know each one. Also, I'm not sure if I'm really happy with the way I've been characterizing Kili so far. I've tried to keep his good-natured self true to text, but idk I'm conflicted. I feel like there's more to him that I'm missing... Let me know what you guys think! <strong>

**Thanks for reading (: **

**Also, if you haven't noticed, I've been trying to name each chapter after a famous work of literature or well-known movie (am I clever er what? (;) or at least, play off of the names, but I've been finding it a little harder to think of novels, poems, or movies to use so if you have any suggestions that would be lovely! **


	11. Down in the Underground

Dawn comes too quickly for my taste. Half asleep, I gather my things and prepare to leave Rivendell. Gandalf and Thorin urge us to move faster as the sky is darkening, even in the early morning, with grey storm clouds. I don't want to leave, I don't think any of the other dwarves want to either, but Thorin has been antsy ever since we arrived and I know he wants to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Lord Elrond bids us a farewell before giving Gandalf a wary look, concern and the slightest bit of fear in his wise eyes. The wizard curtly nods in return and then we're off. I walk behind Bilbo, watching him gaze back at the elven house with longing and sadness. From what I've learned of hobbits so far, they are incredibly fond of home and of earthy things. Seeing the treacherous mountains ahead of us where Gandalf had told us we would be walking through, I understand the homesickness Bilbo must be feeling. Dangerous, rocky paths are not the ideal place for a hobbit. I don't bother trying to comfort him, I have nothing of comfort to say.

The pathway becomes more and more unsteady as we walk. Gaps in the large rocks to my right reveal the stomach churning height that we are at. If anyone fell, there would be no saving them. I gulp and press my side to the high rock wall of the mountain on my left.

"Scared of heights?" Kili teases when he sees my uneasy gaze. I scowl at him.

"It's not the height that scares me, it's the thought of falling and dying," I say as I, once more, look over the edge. Kili's arm wraps around my front and pulls me away.

"Well, first, you should refrain from constantly bending over the side or you _will_ fall. But don't worry. I won't allow anything to happen to you." His words give me comfort, though I would never tell him that. Instead, I give him a shy smile and continue on walking before I suddenly realize something.

"Hang on, how many days has it been since we left the Shire?" I ask Kili. He seems to think about this for a minute before answering.

"I would say almost a week, perhaps. Five days, maybe." Well, I'll be... I let out a whistle.

"I think today may be my birthday. Or tomorrow. Either way, I'm a year older." At least I think. Back home, in my world, my birthday had been six days away the day I came here. Granted, it was November there and from what I'm able to tell here in Middle-Earth, it's still in the cross between summer and fall. But, regardless, I'll still consider myself twenty years old now.

"And how old would that be?" Fili asks behind me.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'never ask a woman her age?'" The two brothers only look at me blankly. "Well, if you must know, I'm now twenty."

"Twenty?" Kili asks incredulously. By now, we have almost the entire company looking at us curiously.

"Uh, yeah...how old did you think I was?"

"Lass, you don't look a day under seventy, if you ask me," Gloin responds with eyebrows raised. _Seventy_? Excuse me, but what the actual fuck? I don't look seventy!

"Seventy?" I exclaim, but Gandalf is quick to intervene.

"My dear, dwarves age slower. To be seventy is actually quite young in dwarven years. You must be accustomed to a much slower time passage," the wizard explains.

"So how old do you guys usually live for?"

"Depends," answers Fili. "We can live up to two hundred and fifty years, three hundred if we're lucky."

"Jesus," I mumble. "How old are you then?"

"I'm eighty-two. Kili is seventy-seven." I consider this a minute.

"So, if we're being technical, had I grown up in your rate of time, I would be around Kili's age?"

"More or less," Gandalf replies.

"Well," I chirp merrily. "Screw turning twenty. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them I turned seventy." The dwarves laugh along with me, even Bilbo cracks a smile, though I still see the trepidation lingering in his eyes. For the rest of the day, Kili stays close to me, not that I mind at all. Just thinking about what I saw yesterday has my blood freezing and my stomach clenching in fear and anguish. Fili is now walking ahead of me and I also tend to flash my eyes towards Thorin as well. I'll be damned if I let anything happen to them. The line of Durin will not be so easily broken.

Hours pass, which turn into days. The rocky terrain is merciless and tricky to maneuver through. At times, we even have to climb up short walls in order to continue on the path. Turns out, hobbits are excellent climbers, so Bilbo would reach down and aid me in climbing up the particularly tricky areas. The days are long and boring, but I would take this over being attacked by orcs and wargs again. Thinking about the encounter I had in that clearing, how close I was to death, it still makes me shiver.

Over these days, I learn about the moon letters on the map we are following and how we must reach the Lonely Mountain by Durin's Day where the last light of autumn will somehow reveal a keyhole to open a secret, invisible door. And then the _real_ fun begins...

I wonder if there really is a dragon sleeping beneath the mountain. If the dragons here are anything like the ones I heard about in fairy tales, then I can only imagine how difficult and absolutely dangerous it will be to try and kill it. I mean, this thing caused an entire _kingdom_ to flea. How are fourteen dwarves, a wizard, and a hobbit, going to kill such a beast? I try not to think too much about it. Gandalf does not strike me as a fool, so if he believes it can be done, who am I to doubt him?

But then I start to think about after the quest. What would happen then? I don't have anywhere to go as I highly doubt I'll be returning back to my world after this. Would Thorin allow me to stay with them in Erebor? I am a dwarf, after all. I don't see why he would be against it. Even if he is, I guess I could go explore, see every landscape, every wonder of Middle-Earth. But, somehow, the idea doesn't seem to appeal to me now as it would have a week ago. Being on my own doesn't seem to appeal to me anymore. I know I'm growing close with these dwarves, with Kili, and the thought of leaving them, especially the dark haired prince behind me, isn't sitting well with me at all.

"Is everything alright, Evelyn?" Kili asks with concern.

"Yeah, Kili, everything's fine," I tell him and we continue on our way, me becoming increasingly aware of Kili's eyes on me whenever he thinks I'm not looking.

Days later, great dark clouds cover the sky and it isn't long before the rain comes, drenching us to the bone. I take out my North Face coat, reveling in it's warmth and rain resistance. Lightening follows soon after, along with the deafening thunder claps, or so I think. The pathway becomes slippery and the lightening cracks against the mountain, large rocks falling down the side and nearly hitting us.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin yells a midst the storm. Another boulder is broken off of the mountainside where it hits another protruding rock, breaking off into smaller pieces and raining down on us.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle!" Balin cries pointing to the most bizarre scene I've ever witnessed. Monstrous moving rocks taking the form of a giant person throw large boulders to each other. It looks like they're...playing _catch_.

"Well bless me!" I hear Bofur shout. "The legends are true! Giants; stone giants!"

"If we don't get blown off, or drowned, or struck by lightning, we'll be picked up by some giant and thrown to our deaths!" Thorin growls.

"Well, if you know of anywhere better, take us there!" Gandalf growls back. Thorin looks to his nephews.

"Fili! Kili! Find somewhere we can take refuge for the night." I watch with the slightest bit of fear as the two brothers follow Thorin's orders and walk out of sight. In the meantime, the rest of us stay put, too afraid of slipping and falling to our deaths, or attracting the attention of the stone giants that continue on with their games. If feels like hours before Kili and Fili come back and I let out a breath of relief when I see them make their way to us.

"There's a cave up ahead. It doesn't go back very far and it's large enough to fit all of us," Kili says. Without wasting a moment, we quickly and cautiously follow the brothers to whatever cave they found. But just as the cave comes in sight, a large rock hurtles towards us.

"Look out!"

I dive to the right, landing on the legs of Bofur and shield my face from the shower of pebbles and rocks that rain down on us in the aftermath. Everyone sits up and I look around to see that everyone is still intact, except for one.

"Where's Bilbo?" I shout with panic. "Bilbo?"

"Over here!" I see Dori on his hands and knees staring down at something over the ledge, and as I get closer, I realize it's Bilbo, hanging onto the rocky edge for dear life. Before I know it, I'm on my stomach, reaching a hand to the hobbit.

"Take my hand!" I can tell Bilbo is trying to release his grip, but fear has him holding on tightly with no intention of reaching up to me. "Bilbo, you must take my hand. Please, trust me. I won't let you fall."

I'm not sure if it's my words or not, but Bilbo finally manages to grab my hand and I use every ounce of strength to try and drag him back up. However, the rock is too wet and too slippery and I end up sliding down instead.

"Shit!" I scream in terror. Suddenly, a figure leaps down next to Bilbo, grabbing him by his coat and pulling him up. Bofur and Dori both grab me by the waist and pull me and the hobbit up just as Thorin loses his grip, Dwalin quick to save him from a most unfortunate death.

"I thought we lost our burglar!" Dwalin breathes with relief when Thorin is pulled to safety. The king only scowls.

"He's been lost over since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." The broken and shameful look on Bilbo's face has my blood boiling. King or not, Thorin has no right to belittle him like that. He may be secretly under my protection, but he took it too far.

"Thorin!" I hear Gandalf scold, but I cut off what ever the wizard is about to say next.

"Don't yell at him like that!" I shout at Thorin who, in return, raises his eyebrows, clearly not expecting such a reaction from me. "It's not his fault he was hit by a rock and almost thrown over the side!" I want to gulp at the dark look Thorin gives me, but I stand my ground.

"You would do well to hold your tongue, miss Wolf," he nearly hisses at me before turning around and walking to the cave. I continue to glower at his back. What an asshole! I see Gandalf glaring at Thorin as well. He looks to me and offers a weak smile as he helps Bilbo and I up to our feet.

"Do not take Thorin's words to heart, Bilbo. He is stubborn and bullheaded, but he will come around." Bilbo does not seem comforted by Gandalf's words at all, not that I blame him. I wouldn't be either. What Thorin said was harsh and completely out of line.

We make our way into the cave and I settle down beside Gandalf and Bilbo. My heart is still calming down from the previous events, like almost falling to my death, and therefore sleep does not seem like an option at the moment. I sit there in silence for a while, until half of the dwarves are asleep, letting my eyes zero in and out of focus.

"Gandalf?" I finally whisper. The wizard hums in response. "You were right, you know, about me being here for a reason."

"Oh?"

"Lady Galadriel told me that I was brought here for a purpose, that with my help, history can be changed."

"How so?" I shrug.

"By saving the lives of those who are not meant to die," I say quietly. I can feel Gandalf's eyes on me as I say this, but he is silent. "What I don't understand, is why me? I'm nothing special. Why was I chosen for this?"

"Why do you doubt yourself, so? My dear, Evelyn, never have I seen such spirit in one person than I have in you. Even though I can tell this journey is a lot different than you had first expected, you carry on with a willing heart and outstanding courage. Now, I do not know what this task is that Lady Galadriel revealed to you, nor do I need to know, but if there is anyone who I think can manage it, it's you, Evelyn Wolf. It seems, to me, that you were born for this life."

I'm completely touched and taken aback by Gandalf's words. He says them with such conviction that I feel myself starting to believe him as well.

"You really think so?"

"I haven't been wrong before," the wizard says boldly. I grin at him, a wave of courage washing over my doubting, fear-filled mind. I can do this. I can save the line of Durin. I can and I will. My eyes sweep across the cave and land on Kili who casually smokes his pipe. His eyes meet mine and I see a smirk playing at the edge of his lips. Yes, I will save him. There is no other option.

With my new found confidence, I allow my eyes to droop close and sleep take over me. My mind is almost completely off, my thoughts and dreams muddling into nonsensical sequences when the sound of voices brings me back to reality. It sounds like arguing almost, quieting down until I hear nothing again. But it doesn't last long. All of a sudden, I'm abruptly sitting up to Thorin's shouts of, "wake up!"

I hear a noise, like hinges creaking. Crawling away from the edge of the cave, my eyes notice the sand slipping in between little crevices in the ground. I bump into someone, Kili, and we both share a wide eyed stare just as the ground beneath us gives way, and we're falling. A scream lodges in my throat, unable to come out. Arms wrap themselves around me, shielding my body from the rough hits against the rock walls we fall past. It only lasts ten seconds before I'm landing on wooden planks, a groaning Kili right beside me.

The pitter-patter of feet against wood becomes louder and louder along with high-pitched screeching. My face contorts into one of terror when I see the disgusting, mutated creatures coming straight for us. Claws are scratching at my face, my torso, my legs; hands are pushing me forward and backward, and my hair is being tugged out of it's sloppy bun. I grunt and yell, kicking and punching at the creatures, only to receive a few smacks and punches in return. I feel strong hands grip my arms and pull me back, surprised to see that it's Thorin. He hands me off to Dwalin who pushes me behind him and so forth, until I'm in between Kili and Bifur.

"Do not leave my sight," Kili whispers sternly in my ear as we are lead off down narrow, wooden bridges and pathways. I can only nod slightly, my fear plain as day on my face. Kili's hand is gripping onto my elbow, and it takes everything I have in me not to turn around and latch on to him completely.

_You are a dwarven woman, Evelyn. Act like it._

The scratchy, high voices of these _things_ start to chant along the way, a sick, horrible song that has my stomach heaving.

_Clap! Snap! the black crack!_

_Grib, grab! Pinch, nab!_

_And down, down to Goblin town_

_You go, my lad!_

_Clash, crash! Crush, smash!_

_Hammer and tongs! Knocker and gongs!_

_Pound, pound, down underground!_

_Ho, ho! my lad!_

_Swish, smack! Whip crack!_

_Batter and beat! Yammer and bleat!_

_Work, work! Nor dare to shirk,_

_While Goblins quaff, and Goblins laugh,_

_Round and round far underground_

_Below, my lad!_

Oh, good God, make it _stop_!

The rest of the dwarves are enjoying the song just about as much as I am. Bifur is even covering his ears and shaking his head. We continue to walk down the unstable pathways, my heart beating faster and harder with every step. I look through the mass of pale, bald heads and count the number of dwarves I see, relieved that I count exactly thirteen, but then I realize...Where are Bilbo and Gandalf? Did they escape? Will they come back for us?

I have to say, there were a lot of things that happened on this journey I was not prepared for, and this is certainly no exception. Just now, my eyes are taking in the most vile, bulbous, sickening creature, even worse than the orcs. His stomach flops over the filthy fabric covering his lower half, boils and protrusions littering his sickly pale and slimy skin. What I find even more revolting, is the large growth coming off of his fat chin that flops against his chest with every movement. The sight of him is making me queasy.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies, thieves, assassins?" the, what I assume to be, goblin bellows.

"Dwarves, your Malevolence," one of his minions replies. "We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice." Once again, claws are scraping at my body, searching for weapons. My bow and arrows (which I _still_ haven't used) are among the pile of swords and axes at our feet. That's when I feel the hands starting to squeeze in very _private_ areas. I let out a disgusted cry and attempt to fight off the goblins trying to cope a feel.

"Don't touch me!"

"What's this?" My head snaps up and my wide eyes meet the large goblin's who gives me a skin-crawling smirk. "A woman?"

Kili's arms shoots around my waist, pulling me close to his side, but even that doesn't stop the hammering of my heart in my chest. I'm shaking against Kili, never breaking eye contact with the massive creature.

"Grinnah!" he shouts. "Bring her to me." And then I'm being ripped from Kili's supportive grip, pushed closer towards the goblin all while the dwarves are shouting and screaming in outrage. I try my best not to cower in front of him, standing as straight as I possibly can with as stoic an expression as I can manage.

"Quiet!" The shouting of the dwarves ceases and the goblin's eyes are on me. "Now, tell me, what are you doing in these parts? I want the truth."

"W-we-" I start. I close my eyes and swallow down the tremor in my voice. "We are terribly sorry for trespassing. We took shelter from a storm and I can assure you we had no intention of inconveniencing you whatsoever."

"Hm, so you say. What were you doing in the mountain pass?" I hesitate for a moment, trying to think of something to say. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to tell him the real reason. But what the hell do I say?

"Um, well, we were on the road to, uh, visit relatives on the other side of the mountains. Personally, I'm seeing my cousins and aunts who I haven't seen in quite some time, and we shouldn't keep them waiting really, so, if it isn't too much trouble, we'll be on our way now-"

"She lies!" one of the tiny goblins hisses, soon followed by the rest.

"Very well! If you will not talk, we'll make you squawk!" The goblin called Grinnah hands something to his master, a long black item, and my eyes widen in horror; it's a whip. Oh dear, God. He has it in the air, ready to crack down on my quivering form, when Thorin steps in.

"Wait!"

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." The great goblin mockingly bows. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really." I take this time to scurry back towards the group, Kili pulling me into his arms and holding on tightly.

"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg." My mind kicks into gear, remembering the great battle story that Balin had told a few weeks ago. Didn't Thorin say he was dead?

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed," Thorin growls. "He was slain in battle long ago." The goblin only smiles darkly.

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" He turns, suddenly, speaking quickly to a small goblin creature with no legs, sitting in a wooden seat suspended from a pulley system. "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize." The great goblin turns his attention back on us.

"Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker!" And then he starts to sing another horrible song of crushing bones and hanging bodies. There's a yelp, followed by a loud clang, and the great goblin shrieks. "I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks! Slash them! Beat them!"

The goblins begin to take hold of heavy, black chains, and they start to whip at us. I duck from oncoming chains and weave through the goblins that try to tackle me down. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a group of goblins throw Thorin to the ground, pinning his arms down.

"Thorin," I let out. Just then, a chain comes crashing down onto my side, whipping the side of my face and slicing through a layer of my coat. The stinging of the orc blade digging into my shoulder is nothing compared to this. Blood drips down my cheek and tears of pain fill my eyes. In a fit of rage, I punch the goblin as hard as I possibly can, knocking the creature right off of the platform. Oh God, it _stings_. I try to shake off the pain, remembering the task I was given.

"Cut off his head!" A goblin sits on Thorin's chest, a dagger raised above his head. With a loud cry I dive for the goblin, tackling him to the ground and taking hold of the weapon loosened from it's grip. Claws wrap around my throat, cutting off my air supply. With the dagger in my possession, I drive into the back of the goblin, watching the life drain from it's eyes before they close permanently.

"Kill her! Kill her!" I push the dead goblin off of me, only to see a cluster of them coming straight for me, swords and weapons raised. My body freezes, my blood runs cold, and all I can do is sit there, paralyzed, waiting for the end to come.

But it doesn't.

A burst of bright light penetrates through the dimly lit cavern, knocking the goblins down and me onto my back.

"Take up arms," a familiar voice orders. "Fight. Fight!"

And fight, we did.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey ho! Another chapter! Please review, it really means a lot to me to know your opinions! <strong>

**Thanks for reading (: **


	12. The Great Escape

As soon as the command leaves Gandalf's mouth, I scramble to my knees and search for something, _anything_, to defend myself with. The sight of the goblin's eyes as I had stabbed it to death is flashing behind my eyelids whenever I blink, causing my body to shudder every few seconds. My hands shake against the splintering wood while I crawl towards the pile of weapons that had previously been confiscated from us.

Around me, goblins shriek and hiss while the dwarves pick up their swords and blades, hacking and stabbing the mangled bodies that attack them. Every sound of metal meeting bone, of blood spattering on the ground, has my stomach heaving and bile rising up my throat. My eyes fall on my unused bow and arrows which I quickly grab, along with a decent sized blade that I'm sure belonged to a goblin, unfortunately. But I really have no right to complain, beggars can't be choosers.

I stand up just as a goblin jumps onto my shoulders. With a disgruntled cry I knock it off of me while another one comes charging towards my unsteady form. It's blood stained sword is pointed right at my stomach.

_Don't just stand there, Evelyn! Fight back!_

The blade in my hands rises up, blocking the path of goblin's sword that would have surely skewered me if I had delayed any longer. It's heavy and hard to swing, but, somehow, I'm able to knock the sword out of the goblin's hand and drive my weapon right into it's abdomen. Dark, thick liquid seeps out of the wound and drips down the metal. It takes everything in me not to puke at this point. I hear a growl behind me. Whipping around, I see a jagged, dirty dagger coming down on my chest.

"Evelyn!" An arrow whizzes through the air and buries itself deep in my attacker's head. Kili is running over to me, panic and desperation clear on his face. "Evelyn, stay with me," he stresses, a pleading look in his eyes. I don't even have time to nod before he's taking me by the arm and dragging me towards the rest of the company who are running down the pathways, following Gandalf's lead. Kili and I are at the back of the group, running hard and fast, or as fast as we can on unsteady planks suspended hundreds of feet in the air.

I'm rendered weaponless at this point as I hadn't had time to try and rip the blade I had from the goblin I killed, but then I remember the dagger that is neatly tucked beneath the layers of my socks. We continue running, the dwarves slicing and stabbing as they go. Another swarm of goblins descend on us and I feel Kili's grip on my arm fall away. One goblin lands in front of me with a sickening smile on it's marred, boiled face. I waste no time in reaching behind my head and taking hold of one of the arrows that sit in the quiver, jabbing it right at the thing's head. I didn't kill him, only stunned him enough for me to make my escape. It's then, that I realize I'm pretty far behind the company.

God, _dammit_.

I sprint after them, knocking away any goblins that come in my way while also receiving several nicks and cuts from their knives that happen to graze against my skin. As I'm running, I take notice of a large wooden gate of some sort, suspended in the air by rather thin ropes. If I could possibly bring it down, it might buy us time from the massive army of goblins following us.

Or I could completely fail and end up getting myself killed. But either way, death seems almost inevitable at this point. What have I got to lose?

I abruptly stop my running, reaching down into my boot to take out the dagger I remembered I had kept there. The goblins are close now, _too_ close. Panic and adrenaline course through my body as I race over to the ropes that keep the gate up. Some part of me had expected the ropes to cut with one slash, like in the movies, but, of course, this is most certainly not a movie, so one slash only slightly severed the lines. I fight back an annoyed groan when this happens and continue to hack away at the ropes, painfully aware of the alarming nearness of the goblins.

_C'mon, cut! _

And in the nick of time, the rope is completely cut through. I watch the wooden gate fall onto the path, blocking the goblins, and also breaking the floor as it lands. But I don't bother feeling victorious, the company is already way ahead of me and that gate won't hold the goblins back forever. My legs move faster than ever, screaming in protest as I push them to the near limit. I'm close, so very close.

Of course, my luck completely runs out, because Fili is cutting the lines that keeps a section of unsteady platform up. I watch all of the dwarves eyes go wide as they realize I'm left behind. The heavy sound of feet landing on wood right behind me suggests that I'm no longer alone either. Fate is really not working in my favor. So much for me being 'deemed worthy' of protecting the line of Durin.

"No!" I hear someone cry out.

I don't stop running though. The platform had given way beneath the dwarves weight after they all jumped to safety, but the ropes holding it up still hung between the large gap. I know what I have in mind is absolutely stupid and most likely not going to work, but there really is no other option. Here goes absolutely nothing.

My feet reach the edge of the path and I jump. My body soars through the air, my arms outstretched for the hanging ropes, literally _just_ falling short.

_Oh, God. I'm not going to make it._

Something must have been looking out for me. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's some otherworldly power, or maybe it's just luck, but somehow, I manage to grab onto the rope. And then I swing. I swing high up over the heads of the company and let go, not wanting to go back the other way. My stomach drops as I free fall, a strangled cry escaping my throat and then I'm landing, none too softly, on the rough wood.

For a moment, all I feel is pain, aching, shocking, breath-stopping pain. My teeth grit together. Sharp tingles travel up my side and something wet spreads across my arm.

"Evelyn!" Hands grab my shoulders and pull me up to my feet. "Evelyn," Kili whispers and he pulls me into a tight hug. "I told you to stay with me!" he growls angrily.

"We have to move!"

The noise of the goblins is near deafening. Before I can say anything to Kili, we are running once again. Gandalf shoves his way to the front, leading us on. But the great goblin apparently has other plans. He shoots up through the wooden path in front of us, a satisfied smirk on his ugly face.

"You thought you could escape me!" He swings his mace at Gandalf, causing the wizard to almost fall back. "What are you going to do now wizard?"

Gandalf's face twists into angered annoyance. Using his staff, he pokes the great goblin in the eye and slashes his giant belly, the pale skin separating and blood spewing out. I let out a quiet gag.

"That'll do it," mutters the goblin. With one last slice at his neck, Gandalf slays the giant creature who falls heavily onto the platform. The wood cracks and creaks, large splinters falling off into the dark abyss below.

_We're going to fall_, I realize. And we did. The force of gravity has me falling to my knees and holding onto the edge of the wood desperately as we all surf down the rocky mountain cavern. Further and further we fall, large pieces of the platform breaking off and flying up into our faces. The walls seem to close in more and more, until an opening, just big enough for the wood to fit through, approaches. Our fall is broken, but not before sliding down a ways and my body propels forward, landing right on top of Kili.

"Well that could have been worse," Bofur pipes up. He speaks too soon because, just then, the giant body of the great goblin come crashing down on us. I'm squashed even further into Kili, my knee hitting a rather sensitive area.

"Sorry!" I yelp when he groans, but the dwarf prince only smiles, causing my heart to speed up in my chest. I'm completely aware of his arms that had wrapped around me and his hands that are splayed across my back. I try not to shiver. Kili's smile slips, though, when his eyes look over my shoulder.

"Gandalf!" he shouts. I turn my head up along with the rest of the company to see a legion of goblins running down the rocky walls and coming straight for us. Dwalin helps Kili and I up while shouting, "There's too many! We can't fight them."

"Only one thing will save us," Gandalf says. "Daylight." Off we go, again, running down the tunnel and, hopefully, towards safety. Everything in me wants to just collapse on the ground and lie there. My body aches, my cheek stings, my arm is numb, and I've never felt so tired in my life. Kili never lets go of me. His arm is around my shoulders, dragging me with him and I'm momentarily glad for the support or I probably _would_ have collapsed. Something up ahead has my heart surging with joy: light. That's all the motivation I need to push the extra half mile until we finally break from the mountain and into the sweet, sweet forest. After several minutes of running downhill, we finally all stop in a small clearing. Most of the dwarves are still standing, walking off the exhaustion. I, on the other hand, collapse as soon as my feet cease to move. My body doesn't really give me a choice in the matter.

I'm breathing heavily and I can feel every wound pulsing and throbbing. A hand touches my back gently. My head raises up to meet the eyes of Thorin who, strangely, looks concerned.

"You were brave back there, Evelyn. You certainly proved yourself." His words have me smiling and laughing tiredly. I can't seem to speak, so I only nod and allow him to help me back on my feet.

"Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf asks. I look around wildly, hoping to spot the curly brown hair of the hobbit. "Where is our hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?" _No, Bilbo!_ Worry and anxiety spread through my chest.

"No," I whimper quietly, my eyes still searching for any sign of him.

"I thought he was with Dori!"

"Don't blame me!" Gandalf looks just about as desperate as I do.

"Well, where did you last see him?"

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Oh, Jesus, is he still in the mountain?

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" the wizards demands.

"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin cuts in angrily. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

I can't help the tears welling in my eyes. He's one of the dearest friends I've ever had besides Kili and Fili. He can't just _leave_.

"No, he isn't." Relief sweeps over me at the sound of the voice.

"Bilbo!" I cry, running up to him and shamelessly squeezing him in a bear hug. "Oh, God, I thought something happened to you!"

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life," Gandalf says with a smile.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!"

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" I step away from the hobbit, noticing the uncomfortable and awkward look on his face.

"Well, what does it matter?" Gandalf cuts in quickly. "He's back!"

"It matters!" Thorin is staring at Bilbo with uncertainty and the slightest bit of curiosity. "I want to know, why did you come back?"

The hobbit is silent for a moment before answering. "Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

I place my hand on Bilbo's shoulder and squeeze reassuringly as the other dwarves, including Thorin, seem to look at Bilbo in a new light. The hobbit looks at me with faint smile and I grin back at him. I knew he would find himself well suited for adventure. The spirit and courage was always in there, waiting to spring out. I'm about to say something to him, but then I hear the howling.

"Out of the frying pan-"

"And into the fire," Gandalf finishes. "Run!" I want to cry out in frustration. Can't we have just _one_ moment of peace?

"Come on, Evelyn, run!" Once again, Kili is taking me by the arm and dragging me behind him. I'm touched that he cares about me so much, but I'm not _completely_ helpless. I can run without him hanging onto me the entire time. The howling is getting louder as we go. Will there ever be an end to this?

To my horror, our path is a total dead end; a cliff side greeting us instead of a way out. All of a sudden, two wargs jump out and block our path, snarling and clamping their yellow fangs together. Dwalin takes the one down with a swing of his battle axe while the other heads, of course, right for me.

_Go for someone else, will you?! _

To my complete surprise, it's Bilbo who jumps in front of me and stabs the warg in the head with his dagger. He looks just as shocked as I do; his eyes are wide and staring at the dead warg that lays at his feet.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, Evelyn, climb!" Bilbo snaps out of his trance and moves to remove his dagger, but it's stuck.

"Bilbo, we have to go," I urge him as I start to run towards the trees. I stop at the closest one and jump up to grab onto the branch right above my head. My arms shake with the effort of lifting my body up, but the adrenaline in my system makes it a bit easier for me to, unsteadily, swing myself onto the branch and continue to climb. Bilbo follows soon after, bringing his feet up just in time before wargs are scratching and clawing at the base of the tree. More wargs are running past, attempting to climb up the other trees where the rest of the company is scattered. My heart drops in despair. There's no way we can get out of this one. We're trapped.

The howling stops suddenly, and all eyes turn to a very familiar, very fearsome looking orc; the Pale Orc to be exact. I recognize the warg he sits on, it's the exact one that attacked Thorin in that mirror Lady Galadriel had shown to me. He spits out words in a harsh, rough language that sends chills up my spine. And then the wargs are on us again, only this time, they are bashing and banging into the trees.

_They're trying to knock them down. _

My thoughts are confirmed when the tree I'm currently cowering in gives way, tilting back against the others. I jump onto the branch of the next tree, but it's like a domino effect as each tree begins to follow suit. All of the dwarves are hopping from tree to tree, until we're all hanging onto the very last one before the edge of the cliff. I notice that Thorin's eyes are fixed on Azog, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Something whizzes past my head, a pine cone, only it's on fire. I watch as it hits the ground in front of the wargs, catching the dry grass and twigs aflame. A few more are thrown, creating a wall of fire between us and the orcs. The dwarves cry in victory at the retreating animals and the disgruntled look on Azog's face. The victory is short lived, however. Our weight is too much on the skinny tree, so it begins to fall, but this time, there's nothing to jump onto to but air. I let out a gasp as I go down, my knees slipping from the branch. My hands catch onto the rough bark and now I'm dangling over a drop that's as large as the God damn Empire State Building.

I hear all of the dwarves yelling in fear, dangling over certain death just the same as I am. To me, it seems like all hope is lost. Even if the wargs don't end up tearing us to pieces, it's not like we all can hang from the tree forever. We'll fall and we'll die. Oh, God, we're going to _die_. I didn't get to finish my task. I didn't get to save Thorin, or Fili, or Kili; I didn't get to finish my first adventure; I didn't get to live out the rest of my life, to tell Kili how I really feel, to know what it's like to kiss him, to be with him. There's so much I didn't get to do. Why now, of all times?

To make matters all the more worse, I see Thorin rise up from his place on the fallen tree, sword out and shield in place. I know what he's going to do, I saw him do it. And there's nothing I can do to save him considering I'm hanging onto a branch for dear life.

"Thorin, no!" I cry, but either he can't hear me or he ignores me. He's out of sight before I can scream louder. I can't see what's happening, but from the heart breaking cries of Balin and the shouts of Dwalin, Fili and Kili, I can imagine it isn't going well for Thorin.

_I should be out there. I should be saving him._

But something I don't think anyone is expecting happens. Bilbo unsheathes his sword, takes a deep breath, and runs after Thorin. I can't tell if he's being courageous or downright suicidal. But honestly, I guess he has nothing to lose here. We're all probably going to die anyway.

My morbid thoughts are interrupted by the slipping of my hands from the bark. I'm trying so hard to hold on, I really am, but my body gives out and my hands completely slip from the tree. A scream rips from my throat, just as someone grabs my wrist with a strong, firm hold. It's Bifur who catches me and I can see the strain of holding up both his weight and mine on his face. Things are looking grim at this point. I see Dori holding onto Gandalf's staff with Ori clinging onto his shoe, nothing but fear in his eyes. I'm sure mine look the same.

We need a miracle.

I hear the sound of eagles cawing through the air, expecting to see a few of the birds fly past. What I'm not expecting to see is a flock of _giant_ eagles to fly right towards us, grabbing a few of the dwarves in the tree with their large talons. What the hell...

Bifur lets out a cry as his hand slips from the branch he had been holding onto and with a scream of my own, we're falling. We don't even go down ten feet before we land on something soft and feathery.

"Holy shit," I breathe. I'm on the back of an eagle. I'm _flying_ on an eagle. An amazed smile stretches across my face. We're safe! We didn't die! Oh, Lord, I could kiss someone right now! The eagle soars through the night air, the wind blowing across my face and cooling my sweating body. I said we had needed a miracle, and a miracle we got. A breathy laugh leaves my mouth and I look at Bifur behind me, who laughs along. I don't want to be weird and kiss him so, instead, I throw my arms around the silent dwarf and continue to laugh. _We're alive._

"Thorin!" I turn my head back, laugh dying in my throat, and zero in on Thorin's still body caged between the talons of another eagle.

_Please let him be alright_, I plead in my head. If he dies, I'll never forgive myself. This is supposed to be my mission, my task. I'm supposed to make sure he stays alive. He can't die.

The eagles continue on for several minutes before a large rock, faintly resembling the body of a bear, comes into view. Gently, yet swiftly, we are brought down onto the flat surface atop the rock and Bifur helps me off of the eagle. Gandalf is hovering over Thorin's body which, miraculously, starts to move. I join the dwarves, letting out a giant breathe of relief.

"It's alright. Bilbo's here. He's quite safe," I hear Gandalf tell Thorin. Dwalin and Kili help Thorin up to his feet, the latter staring at Bilbo with an expression I can't put a name to.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" he shouts at the hobbit. My mouth gapes open. Is he seriously getting mad at Bilbo for saving his life? "Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?"

I'm about to say something, to give Thorin a piece of my mind, but Thorin's next action catches me completely off guard. He _hugs_ Bilbo.

"I have never been so wrong in all my life," the dwarf king finishes with his arms wrapped around the hobbit. "I am sorry I doubted you." Bilbo smiles.

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar," he says and the dwarves around me chuckle with happiness and relief. I want to laugh along with them, but a cold chill runs up and down my body and I notice my hearing to become a bit muffled. I'm able to catch Gandalf speaking about Erebor and Oin say something about birds returning to the mountain. My vision is getting foggy and I can see the blackness tunneling in from the corners of my eyes. I let out a groan before my legs give out and I'm falling. Someone catches me, thank God. A concussion, on top of everything else, is not something I want to deal with. I know I'm in the midst of blacking out, but I try hard to fight it.

"Poor thing must have pushed herself to the limit," I hear Oin say. I'm laying on the ground now, the faces of Kili and Oin hovering over mine. "It's alright, lassie, go ahead and sleep."

He doesn't have to tell me twice.

* * *

><p><strong>Here yah go! Yeah, I know, I honestly don't have a life so I literally just sit in my room and write all day... The semester doesn't start up again until the 21st so you can expect daily updates until then! I found this chapter a little harder to write than the others so please let me know what you think about it. <strong>

**The entire time I was writing this I had Ed Sheeran's cover of "Masters of War" playing on repeat. Idk it kind of motivated me with the all the action going on and all. I'm not really a big fan of covers of Bob Dylan's music (LOVE Bob Dylan btw), but Ed Sheeran's voice is just asddsfshfkj and he sings the song with so much emotion and energy. The feels are too real. If you haven't heard it yet I suggest you listen to it right now. Like right now. **

**Anyway, review, review, review! They keep me going! **

**Thanks for reading (: **


	13. The True Confessions of Evelyn Wolf

_Holy shit, I hurt._

The moment my eyes flutter open, I am incredibly, painfully aware of the intense throbbing that is spread out along my entire body. My legs are cramped up from running, the whole right side of my body is pulsating, along with my arm which stings profusely, and my cheek pulses with a dull ache. A pain filled groan escapes my mouth and I try to sit up despite the heavy, lead feeling of my arms and legs. I'm still lightheaded, my vision blurring and blacking out for a moment from the dizziness I feel. Oh, God, I'm going to puke...

I scramble up onto my knees and scurry over to the edge of the rock, bile emptying from my stomach and burning my throat in the process. Someone pulls my hair from my face with two hands and I suspect another person is behind me, also, as I can feel more hands rubbing my back soothingly. I groan again.

"I feel like I'm dying," I croak, wincing when my head begins to throb. A deep chuckle sounds behind me, of course, belonging to Kili.

"Fortunately, you are not. Gave me quite a scare though, I must admit. Everyone was worried. Bilbo, here, wouldn't stop asking if you'd be alright." I manage a smile at that. Everyone was worried about me? I hear Bilbo start to stutter behind my hunched form.

"Well, I wouldn't say...I mean, I-"

"Oh, shut up and come here," I tell the hobbit before wrapping him in a hug. Bilbo responds immediately, to my pleasure. The last time I hugged him, he didn't seem to know how to react at all. "Thank you for killing that warg for me," I whisper in his ear. We both pull back at the same time, a small smile on Bilbo's lips.

"It's the least I could have done to thank you for your kindness and friendship, Evelyn."

"I knew you had the courage and spirit, Bilbo. No one else thought so, but I knew before we even left on the journey," I say with confidence and a hint of teasing arrogance. Kili and Bilbo chuckle and I try not to shudder at the glorious sound that is Kili's laugh. That reminds me, I have to thank Kili too. After all, he _did_ keep an eye out for in the mountain. I'm about to open my mouth, but another wave of nausea hits me full force. I cover my mouth with my hand.

"Jesus Christ," I mutter into my hand.

"You are dehydrated and you need to eat," Kili tells me, his expression laced with concern. I shake my head though, the thought of food isn't very appealing at the moment.

"I don't think I can eat anything." Kili gives me a stern look.

"You may not feel like eating now, but you need something, Evelyn. You passed out partially from malnourishment." I sigh before nodding my head. He_ is_ right. I haven't eaten since the day before we sought refuge in the cave. Bilbo and Kili help me to my feet and guide me over to the campfire that is already blazing bright through the darkening sky. I had fainted just as dawn had come (which, I must admit, I'm a bit embarrassed about) so, I'm assuming I had slept most of the day considering it is now dusk. I also notice that we have moved further down from the top of the rock and to a safer platform right by the forest edge. The way back up looks steep and a bit intimidating. Jesus, someone carried me down _that_?

"Eh! The lass is awake!" cries a cheerful Bofur. Twelve eyes are on me as Kili and Bilbo ease me down in an open spot around the fire.

"How are you feeling, miss Evelyn?" Balin asks, handing me a plate. There's a good size portion of some type of meat along with a few berries. Although the sight of it doesn't really do much to settle my nausea, I force myself to chew on the berries first.

"Like death," I grumble while chewing. I hear a few snorts and Balin chuckles.

"Well, on behalf of all of us, I will thank you for your quick thinking back in the goblin tunnels. Although, it was a bit reckless."

"And stupid," mutters Dwalin. My head dips lower into my plate.

"Regardless," Balin continues with a pointed look at the hulking dwarf, "it was a very tactful act on your part." I only shrug.

"Well, I wasn't being much help with the killing part so I figured I might as well do _something_ useful." By now, the pounding in my head has gone down considerably and, I will admit, the food as done wonders in quelling my nausea. A water skin is brought in front of me, courtesy of Kili, and I try my hardest to not gulp down all of the water in one go. "How'd you manage to get a water skin? I thought we lost everything back in the mountain."

"It's Fili's, actually. You wouldn't believe the number of hidden pockets he has inside his coat. The goblins only managed to find three of the twenty-five knives on his person as we speak."

"_Twenty-five_?" I let out incredulously. How many knives does one person need?

"Aye, twenty-five," Kili confirms with a grin. I try to take another bite of what I think is rabbit, but I honestly do not have the will power at the moment to continue eating. It's in that moment that the after effects of what happened several hours ago hits me full force. Images flash in my mind: the boiled great goblin, the sound of goblins being hacked to death, the thick, black goo that is the goblins' blood. Yeah, no more food right now.

I take in the dirt and grime smeared all over my hands and I can't imagine what the rest of me looks like. Not to mention, I feel absolutely disgusting. What makes everything worse at this moment is that I have no backpack and no way to rid myself of the gross, vile filth that is covering my entire body. Oh, I lost all of my weapons too, save for the bow and arrow that I haven't used since I got them, so I'm pretty much screwed if we are attacked again.

The wounds that litter my body decide in that moment to begin their merciless throbbing twice as intense as yesterday. _It's the fucking icing on the cake_. Never have I felt so uncomfortable and useless.

"Everything alright, Evelyn?" Fili is giving me the same look his brother gives me ten times a day; nothing but concern. Dwalin and Thorin are giving me the exact same look, only Dwalin is trying to mask it a bit.

"Yeah," I reply automatically in an entirely too optimistic tone. "I'm absolutely fine." None of them look convinced at all, but it's not like I'm actually going to tell them how much I'm hurting and how uncomfortable I am. I can't show anymore weakness. I mean, I already had a massive mental breakdown in Rivendell, and just this morning I _fainted_. And then here are all of these dwarves, sitting around a fire, laughing and telling stories like nothing ever happened. Even _Bilbo_ doesn't seem as affected by our near death experience. As much as I want to lay back, laugh along with them, and forget that I just underwent the most terrifying experience of my life, I just can't.

_Why can't I be like them? Why can't I turn it off? _

I excuse myself, quite suddenly, and walk away from the merry dwarves, the peaceful wizard smoking on his pipe, and the warm fire crackling and spitting in the twilight. The need to be alone, to _think_, becomes much too urgent.

My legs walk on their own accord, leading me into the forest, the one place I can always count on to help clear my mind. I sit behind a large tree, making sure that I can still hear the dwarves and see the fire. Getting lost would not help anything right now. And, so, I sit there and I shake and I shudder, breathing in deeply and letting out through my nose, curling my fingers in tightly and letting them go slowly. I tense and un-tense every muscle in my body while quiet tears of after shock and pain roll down my stinging cheeks. I feel pathetic, honestly. One thing I don't do is cry. I am, most certainly, _not_ a crier. But, somehow, this place has managed to completely change that and it angers the hell out of me. What has my life come to? I'm twenty years old and I've manged to pass through to an entire different dimension, make a deal to go on a journey that is turning out to be more like a suicide mission, have some 'fate' shit dumped onto my shoulders, putting the lives of three people in my hands, and I've had, not one, but four close death encounters.

_Was it really worth it? Was your thirst for adventure really worth what you've gone through?_

I put my head in my hands and breathe deeper. Honestly, I have no idea how to answer that question and I feel horrible for it. I'm being selfish, I know, but I can't help but feel the slightest bit of regret in coming along. This is _not_ how I thought this journey would go.

The sound of twigs cracking underneath someone's foot causes me to recoil and compose myself. I don't want anyone to see me like this. A part of me expects it to be Kili. He seems to always be there in my times of distress. However, I'm shocked when I meet the face of Thorin. I go to stand up, but Thorin motions for me to stay seated and I watch in surprise as he sits down across from me.

"You are troubled," he states after a moment of awkward silence. My mouths opens, but no sound comes out. I have no clue how to respond. Thorin seems patient, though. The ever permanent scowl on his face is completely gone, replaced by a softness that I never could have imagined possible for him.

"I-" I'm struggling and he knows. Still, he remains silent. "I can't stop...thinking...about what happened," I manage to whisper. "I know I made it seem as though I could handle this in the Shire and, at the time, I thought I could. But, I've never been so close to death before and everything is just so different than what I thought it would be. I've always been on my own and I always thought that that's all I would ever be, alone that is. And I was okay with that, but now that I met you guys, now that I'm apart of this company, I'm realizing that everything I thought I wanted isn't what I want anymore. When I was hanging off of that tree, when I thought we were all going to die, I thought about everything I had wanted to do, but never got the chance to actually do it. I realized I want to be apart of something, be apart of a family; that I want to meet someone and get married and have kids when, only a month ago, I figured I would just never marry. I...I thought I knew who I was, but I don't anymore and it's driving me _insane_. I've never felt so confused and useless and so incapable in my entire life."

My chest is heaving by the time I'm finished. Then, the embarrassment hits. I completely went for it. I told Thorin _everything_ on my mind and I'm taken aback at how quickly I just opened up to him. From Thorin's facial expression, I can tell he is too.

"Well, I will say I was not quite expecting that," Thorin starts.

"You and me both," I mutter, running a hand over my knotted hair.

"But, I will also say, I think you are very wrong. You are much more capable and useful than you know, Evelyn. What you are feeling is something many of us have gone through. Seeing death, being the one to cause death, staring death in the face, it is enough to change any man or any woman. You are young. You still have time to figure out who you are. None of us were prepared for what has happened so far on this journey, so do not be so quick to put yourself down."

I don't know why, but I start to tear up. It could be that what he says is true and maybe I'm not as pathetic as I thought. I think another reason, though, is that this is closest experience I've had to a father-daughter conversation ever. My dad and I were not close. We didn't talk, we didn't go out and do father-daughter things. We were strangers. No one has ever instilled courage or self-confidence in me before, besides Gandalf. And, so, a midst my tears I manage to smile and nod at the dwarf king in front of me.

"And, when this quest is over, and Erebor is reclaimed, you will always have a home there."

My smile widens even more at his words. "Thank you, Thorin. Really, thank you." He stands up, me following suit, and Thorin's attention is averted to the forest edge. A small smile plays at the edges of his lips.

"Something tells me, you will have more than just a family by the time we reach our journey's end." I'm about to ask him what he means by that, but Thorin is already walking away. I hear him speak quietly to someone, and footsteps, once again, approach me. My heart races quite suddenly when I see who it is. Kili squints at me in the dimming light and I just about stop breathing when he takes my face in his hands.

"You were crying," he says while his thumbs wipe away what's left of my tears. I shake my head and smile.

"Everything's okay, Kili. I was just in shock. A lot happened, you know?" He looks at me for a minute, studying me. I have to fight the blush that is threatening to come up to my cheeks.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Instead of answering, I take his hand and pull him down so that we're both sitting on the ground.

"Have you...ever been in a battle before?" I ask him quietly. Kili shakes his head.

"No, I haven't, but I've fought off plenty of orc raids in my time."

"Did they...I don't know...change you?"

"What do you mean?" I sigh and try to word my question a different way.

"I mean, how did you deal with the aftermath of it? How did you stop thinking?"

"I didn't," he responds immediately. "The sounds, the faces, the screams, they were always there. That is not something that leaves you, Evelyn. But, I sought comfort in the ones I love, my family, and with their help, the memories didn't come as often."

"Your family," I say with curiosity. "Will you tell me about them?" Kili smiles, as if he knows exactly what I'm doing.

"Well, like I told you before, my Da died before I was born. My mother, Dis, with the help of Thorin, raised Fili and I. We grew up with stories of our Da, with stories of Erebor, and dreamed of the day we would finally see the mountain. We grew up in the Blue Mountains where many of our kin, including Thorin had sought refuge after Smaug attacked Erebor..."

As Kili spoke of his mother and his days growing up, a ghost of a smile is on my face the entire time. I love the way his eyes light up when he speaks of his mom and brother, how passionate he is when it comes to his family, and how he absentmindedly smiles when he talks about his childhood. He tells me about his first experience with a bow and arrow and I nearly pee myself from laughing.

"You actually shot him?!" I manage to cry out between my laughter. "You shot him in the butt?" Kili cringes, but lets out a laugh of his own.

"It was a complete accident! Besides, Fili should have known better than to distract me. It was bound to happen."

"Oh, God, that is fantastic. I wish I could've seen it." I let my laughter die down a bit, getting my breath back. "Hey Kili?"

"Yes?"

"Um, well, I know I told you guys that I can shoot with a bow and arrow, but, back home, I was used to a different type of bow and I'm not sure how well I can shoot with the one I have now..." Kili quirks an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

"Are you asking me to give you a shooting lesson?" I let out an awkward cough.

"Uh, I mean, if you don't mind..."

"Of course I don't. It's too dark at the moment, but the next chance we have I'll help you."

"Thanks," I say with a smile. "Really, thank you. If it wasn't for you keeping an eye out for me I don't know what would've happened." Kili says nothing, only stares at me with his dark eyes, so I turn my head to look back at the fire to see that it's nearly out and most of the company is asleep. "It's late."

"Yes, it is. We should probably get some rest." Kili offers me his hand and pulls me to my feet. I'm still unsure exactly how it happened, part of me wants to think it's a complete accident while the other part is fully aware that I may have done it on purpose, but I 'stumble' into Kili's arms. His hands are on my back, chest to chest, our faces are mere inches apart. I can feel his breath fanning my face and his eyes are wide, staring into mine. The urge to kiss him is so intense right now. He leans his face in ever so slowly, my stomach flipping and a feeling growing in the pit of my stomach that I've never felt before. It seems to rise up, expanding in my chest and making my toes curl in. Good, God, he's so beautiful. Centimeters now; we're so close.

"Kili? Evelyn?" Both of us jump and spring apart at the sound of Fili's whisper-shouting. I want to groan at the interruption, but I think I'm kind of relieved at the same time. As much as I want to kiss Kili, I'm not sure if now is the best time. We still have the journey to think about; would a romantic relationship really be the best idea?

"There you guys are." The dark silohuette of Fili approaches us, the faint moonlight glinting off of the knives hanging out of his coat. He stops short. "Was I interrupting something?" he asks with a hint of smugness.

"Uh, no, no," I stutter. "We were just...talking." I nearly cringe at how sketchy I sound.

"Just talking, eh?" I smack his arm. "Alright, alright, I apologize." Kili chuckles along with Fili while I just stand there, embarrassed and red in the face.

"I'm going to bed," I mutter before turning on my heel and practically stomping out of the trees. It's then that I realize how cold it is. And we have no blankets. This just keeps getting better. So, with a long, audible sigh, I lay myself down as comfortably as I can on the grassy rock and try not to shiver too much. Someone lays beside me a few minutes later, obviously Kili. Who else would it be?

"You're cold," he states. I just nod, my back still turned away from him. I'm...nervous now. We almost kissed. How am I supposed to act around him now that that just happened? How is he not feeling as nervous and awkward as I am? I hear him sigh and then his arm is wrapping around me, pulling me right into his chest. A gasp escapes from my mouth, completely caught of guard by his boldness. Aren't public displays of affection like...frowned upon here?

"Relax, Evelyn," he breathes tiredly. I try to release my tensed body, but it's incredibly hard when his chest is pressed right up against my back and his thumb is rubbing the front of my stomach where his arm is wrapped around me. How do I breathe again? Right, in and out, in and out...

Kili's soft snores fill my ear and I'm able to relax a bit more. I think it's obvious that I'm not used to people being so _intimate_ with me. I feel like one of those young high school girls in the tv shows that encounter there first romantic experience. The way Kili makes me feel is beyond anything I've ever felt before and I'd be a total liar if I said I didn't like it. He must feel the same way, right? He almost kissed me, that has to count for something. Oh, _Kili_...

It's now that I start to really get comfortable. Kili is _warm_, and is doing a great job of blocking the chilly wind that blows through every few minutes. I try to stop thinking and stop the flow of never ending questions racing through my mind. Instead, I try to relish in Kili's warmth and the protective, heart warming hold he has on me. Sleep will not come easy tonight, but at least I have Kili with me. At least I now have a family and the promise of a home, a _real_ home.

* * *

><p><strong>Really not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I'm putting it up anyway because it's been two days and I finally had a break in between my work schedule. Please review and give me your opinions! <strong>

**Thanks for reading (: **


	14. Flowers In Your Hair

Just as I had expected, sleep does not come easy at all. Despite Kili's warmth, the fact that I'm trying to sleep on a bumpy, rocky surface is making me increasingly uncomfortable. I'm still in pain as well and until we get our hands on some sort of medicine or bandages, I have a feeling it will only get worse. A sigh is released from my mouth. Slowly and quietly, I remove Kili's arm that is still wrapped around my middle and stand up from the rough surface I attempted to fall asleep on.

The sun creeps up over the horizon, a beautiful golden glow cast across the sky and the valley below. It's a wondrous sight, one that allows me to not think and just look. I've been doing too much thinking over the course of this journey and it's slowly driving me crazy. I hate this uncertainty, this anxiety that I've been feeling since Rivendell. It gnaws at me, makes my hands tremble and my mind go into overdrive. For once, I let all of that go and allow myself to breathe. The sound of birds chirping fills my ears, the rustling of the trees, and the faint whispers of the wind. It's moments like these that remind me of why I fell in love with the forest, with the outdoors. Everything is so peaceful and brilliant and beautiful, extraordinarily beautiful. How could one not fall in love with it?

I hear yawns and grumbles behind me, a clear sign that the company is waking up. Yet, something else reaches me ears, something distant and terrifyingly familiar. It sounds like a howl. I turn around abruptly towards the mass of tired dwarves with eyes wide.

"Do you hear that?" I ask with panic.

"Hear what?" I lift up a finger to silence all of them, the air growing quiet and alert. Nothing is heard for a few moments, leading me to believe I'm only being paranoid, but then I hear it again, and, this time, I _know_ it's howling.

"They're close," Fili says, dread lacing his voice.

"We have to keep moving," Thorin orders as we all huddle together a little closer.

"I know of someone, someone who lives not far off from here," Gandalf chips in. "We might take refuge there if he so agrees."

"Who?" Thorin asks with the slightest bit of suspicion.

"He is a very great person, in my opinion, and if we leave now, we may reach his house by midday."

Thorin doesn't seem pleased with Gandalf's cryptic response, but, seeing as we really have no other choice, he stays silent and nods his head. We start to walk down from the giant rock formation immediately considering there's nothing to pack up at all. Some of the dwarves seem wary of our unknown destination; however, I cannot wait until we get there. I hope whoever this guy is has a bath and some medicinal supplies. My swollen cheek begins to throb again in response. I have yet to look at my arm, I'm pretty nervous to see the state it's in to be honest. The skin stings as it rubs up against the fabric of my tunic and coat which is, no doubt, making it much worse. The soreness of my legs makes it hard to keep up with the fast pace of Gandalf and the rest of the company, but I fight the pain and continue on, not wanting to seem weak in front of them. After yesterday, that's the last thing I need.

"So who is it that we are going to see?" Bilbo asks Gandalf. Most of the dwarves, including myself, raise their heads in interest to the wizard's answer.

"His name is Beorn and he is a skin-changer."

"What? A furrier?"

"Oh, heavens, no! He is a skin-changer, that is, he changes his skin. Sometimes he is a huge black bear and sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man. As great as he is, he's very quick tempered, so you must be very polite. Do not annoy him, he is appalling when angry, but kind when humored. I shall send you out two by two, I think, as it is best to not over-crowd him so suddenly."

"You couldn't find someone more easy-tempered?" Dwalin grumbles darkly.

"You mean someone as easy-tempered as you?" I mutter to myself. I hear Kili and Fili choke down their laughter behind me. _Oops...was it that loud?_

"Not unless you wish to be run down by orcs, master dwarf," is Gandalf's smart reply. Dwalin continues his grumbling while I do the same, but more in my head. I don't think I've ever been in such a bad mood before. I ache, I'm exhausted, I'm hungry, and I'm filthy; _not_ a good combination.

"Are you okay?" Kili asks me quietly. I nearly let out a groan. _Why does everyone keep asking me that?!_

"I'm fine." I see him flinch a little at my clipped tone, instantly feeling bad. I know he's only looking out for me. My mouth opens to apologize, but Kili is already drawing back to walk with his brother and I sigh. I guess I'll apologize later.

We walk on and on for several hours until we come across a pasture of some sort. That's when I see the bees. They don't seem like bees at first, they're as large as my fist, but they have all the physical characteristics of one. I see a lot of them buzzing about the fields along with a few horses that graze on the grass.

"We are getting near," Gandalf says. "We are on the edge of his bee pastures."

Eventually, a small, rundown looking home comes into view. Ivy and weeds creep up along the sides, the roof thatched and uneven, yet it looks sturdy enough and sort of cozy in a woodsy kind of way. Horses and other animals scurry about the yard with a certain quality to them that doesn't seem entirely...animal. One dog that rushes to the front of the house picks itself up on it's hind legs and opens the front door to my complete amazement. The sound of someone chopping wood can be heard from the back of the house, but Gandalf stops before we can go any further.

"You better wait here," he says and then looks to Bilbo. "Bilbo, you come with me. The rest of you come in pairs when I give the signal. Bombur is the fattest so he will count as two." Then his eyes land on me. "Actually, miss Wolf, you come with me as well. He certainly won't fine you as threatening. You are injured as well which may persuade him in letting us stay."

"Glad to see my injuries are a convenience for everyone," I mutter. Thorin places a hand on my shoulder as I walk past him, giving me somewhat of a reassuring smile. I try to return it, although I'm sure it comes out as more of a grimace. Gandalf walks ahead, heading towards the back of the house with Bilbo and I in tow, both of us giving the other a look of uncertainty. The cracks of an axe meeting wood resonates through the air, growing louder and louder as we near until we finally spot the mysterious 'skin-changer.'

My first thought is that he is _big._ He's at at least double my size, even taller than Gandalf. Thick, coarse hair runs down his back from his head, giving me a sort of 'werewolf' vibe, even though he apparently changes into a bear. I watch him stiffen, his mighty swings of his axe halting as he notices our presence. Swiftly, he turns around and I'm taken aback at how animalistic this man is. His eyebrows are incredibly bushy, the strands elongating at the top and blending into his hair. Wild sideburns come down from the sides of his face and cover the majority of his chin. His eyes are wide and alert, his lips curling in like a dog would when it's growling.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I shudder slightly when I hear his voice. It's rough and gravely, and comes out _exactly_ like a growl. It's frightening.

"I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey," the wizard replies calmly.

"Never heard of him," the man, Beorn, says gruffly. His eyes land on Bilbo and I. "Who are these little fellows? A woman, too?"

"This is Mr. Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire and this is miss Wolf."

"What are you then?" I realize that Beorn is talking to me and it takes me a minute to gather the wits to answer.

"A-a dwarf," I say shakily. Beorn's face contorts into a rather displeased expression, but he doesn't say anything more. Gandalf is quick to intervene.

"As I said, I am Gandalf. I am a wizard. I have heard of you, if you have not heard of me; but, perhaps you have heard of my cousin Radagast. He too is a wizard who lives on the southern borders of Mirkwood."

"Yes, I have. Not a bad fellow as wizards go. Well, now that I know who you are, what is it you want?"

"To tell you the truth, we had a little run-in with the goblins in the mountains and we have lost all of our luggage."

"What did you go near goblins for?"

"We did not mean to. We were taking the high pass in the mountains-it is rather a long tale."

"Then you had better come inside and tell me, if it will not take too long," Beorn says. He's turning around to lead us into the house, but Gandalf stops him.

"Before we do, I must admit that we have several more in our group waiting around the front of your home. I will call them, if I may."

"Go on, call away!" Gandalf whistles then. Not ten seconds later, Dwalin and Balin come around the side of the house and introduce themselves.

"Do you call two several?" Beorn asks suspiciously. Just then, Oin and Gloin come running up next to Dwalin and Balin.

"Ah, Oin and Gloin," Gandalf says without looking at Beorn and waving a hand to them. Seconds later, another two dwarves come scurrying around the corner. Gandalf starts to look a little uncomfortable now.

"Dori and Ori," Dori introduces politely before they both bow. "At your service."

"I don't want your service!" Beorn growls.

"Completely understandable-" Gandalf tries to lighten the situation, but the arrival of Fili and Kili only seems to irritate the bear man even more. It's not long before the rest of the company is now standing in front of Beorn with wary eyes.

"Is that all? Are there any more?" Beorn asks, his wild eyes roaming the area for any stragglers.

"No, I assure you, this is the extent of our company."

"Come inside, then, and tell me this tale of yours, for I am most intrigued."

Ten minutes later, I and the rest of the company are seated around a large table, food laid out before each of us and some sort of cream drink. It isn't exactly milk, but the consistency is close to it, with a flavor of honey and sugar. At this point, I don't really care what the drink is, I just need something to put into my body. Kili is two seats away from me, Fili sitting in between us, and I try to catch his eyes. It seems like he's avoiding me, though.

_Shit, I feel terrible._

I move my arm up to grab another piece of fruit on my plate, but my arm hits the table instead, igniting the sharp pains and stinging I had been feeling all day. A hiss sounds from my mouth, followed by a low curse. A few eyes are on me as I get up and excuse myself from the table, already knowing one pair of those eyes belong to Kili. I walk out of the company's view before carefully taking my coat off. The right sleeve of my shirt has dark patches, leading me to believe that my arm had done a lot of bleeding. _Why, why ,why?_

I roll up the sleeve, slightly relieved that my arm doesn't look as bad as I had thought, but it's still not a pretty sight. Dried blood is coated around the skin which holds a few splinters of wood that have yet to come out. Multiple areas are heavily bruised and I'm pretty sure I have a brush burn near my elbow. My other arm is obviously not as bad, but there are plenty of small cuts that litter my skin. There is a clear line, too, on my left wrist that shows the difference in how dirty my hand is compared to the rest of my arm which was covered up. I need a flipping bath.

With a sigh, I walk back to the dining area and up to Gandalf and Beorn who are conversing quietly. As soon as they notice my presence, they both stop and look to me and my face reddens with discomfort.

"Uh, I was wondering if you had any bandages or anything like that. My arm is in really bad shape," I say, allowing the bear man to see the damage.

"I'll say," he responds gruffly. "Indeed, I have supplies you may use to cover your wounds. Would the lady like a bath, as well? You look like you need it." I'm not quite sure if I should take offense to that or not, but, regardless, I nod my head eagerly. To my surprise, Beorn has his animals draw the bath. Dogs boil the water and carry the buckets to the 'bathroom' with their teeth, pouring it into the wash basin. It's incredibly amusing to watch and very cartoon-like. It reminds me of those Looney-Tunes shows I used to watch as a kid.

The water is hot and refreshing as I slip inside. almost immediately, the water is turning into a murky color, but I don't have the will power to let it bother me. I'm much too happy with the fact that I'm actually bathing for the first time in weeks. Beorn was kind enough to lend me an old shirt and some pants so I can wash my filthy clothing, although I have a feeling I'm going to have a hell of a time keeping the pants up, not that I'm going to complain too much.

I scrub myself down with a chunk of soap left near the basin, making sure to be incredibly gentle with my right arm, and I try to carefully wash the gash on my cheek which is still swollen. When I feel content with my cleanliness, I hop out of the water, dry myself off, braid my wet hair back, and attempt to, somehow, get this gigantic clothing to look somewhat presentable on me. It takes me ten minutes to roll up the pants due to their length, and almost the same amount of time to roll up the sleeves of the tunic Beorn gave me, which I also have to knot at the bottom since it's so long and wide. Basically, I'm swimming in these clothes, but they're roomy and will at least be comfortable to sleep in tonight. Beorn had told me that his animals would take care of my own clothing, so I gather them up in my arms before opening up the door of the bathroom and dropping them by the back door like he instructed.

The dwarves are laughing and and chatting away merrily in the sitting room where a warm fire is crackling in the fireplace. I smile at how relaxed they are and will myself to do the same. My muscles are tense and aching from the stress I've been feeling for the past few days, not to mention I'm so entirely exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I make my way into the sitting room, promptly catching the attention of Oin who holds a few bandages in his lap along with a jar of what I assume to be ointment.

"C'mere, lassie. Let's take a look at that arm." The healer pushes the sleeve of my shirt up once I sit down next to him and inspects the, now cleaner, wound. "Oh, it's not too bad. It'll heal up in no time with a little salve. We should get these splinters out though."

I grit my teeth as Oin begins to pull out the rather large wood splinters underneath the skin of my arm, trying to keep my face impassive the whole time. It's not bad though, not nearly akin to the stitching Oin did on my shoulder in Rivendell. In no time, Oin has my arm sterilized and wrapped up nicely.

"Thanks, Oin," I say to him with a grin. "I don't know what'd I do without you." Oin waves a hand and smiles, proceeding to put away the jar of salve in one of the small packs that Beorn had given to each of us. For such a scary, roguish man, he's incredibly kind and thoughtful. My eyes search around the room until they land on the one person I've been wanting to talk to. His eyes meet mine and, for a moment, we just just stare at each other, but then he looks away, his face void of any emotion and I wonder if I had hurt him _that_ bad.

"Evelyn?" I turn to my left where Fili is sitting and by the look on his face, I have a feeling he saw the exchange between Kili and I. I also have a feeling he saw what happened earlier on the way here which would account for the slight protective look I can see in his eyes at the moment. I sigh.

"Look, Fili, I've been meaning to apologize to him, and I will, I just haven't been in the best of moods lately. I promise I'll talk to him, though, okay?" The blonde continues to stare at me before nodding.

"My brother can be rather sensitive at times, despite his tough demeanor. He cares about you a lot, Evelyn and he worries. You cannot blame him for that."

"No," I say, my eyes set on the handsome, dark haired prince. "I can't." Just staring at Kili gives me butterflies and I think about last night, how close we were to kissing, and how amazing it felt to be wrapped in his arms. Like I said, I haven't had many romantic dealings with men, mainly because I always figured I'd be better off on my own, but Kili makes me think differently. He makes me not want to be alone. He makes me want to be by his side wherever he goes, to take part in whatever he's doing. Something unfamiliar and strange grows in my stomach, a feeling I've never felt before, yet I have an inkling as to what it is. Could it be that I may actually..._love_ him? No, I mean, I don't think so... Doesn't love take a while to develop? Can someone really love another so quickly?

My thoughts are interrupted by Fili clearing his throat rather loudly.

"Just staring at him is not going to solve the problem." My cheeks redden and I direct a small scowl at Fili.

"I'm aware of that, thank you," I spit out. The blonde dwarf only smirks at me. I shoot up from my spot on the floor, and, with one more scowl at Fili, I make my way over towards his brother. "Hey," I greet softly, plopping myself down next to him. Kili manages a weak smile, but says nothing. _God, I feel so, so bad. _

"Kili, I'm really sorry about earlier. I had no right to snap at you like I did. I know you were only look out for me and I acted like a complete idiot. Please forgive me," I practically beg to him. He looks at me for a minute before he smiles.

"I'll forgive you," he says which makes me grin in response. I'm about to say something else, but he cuts me off. "I'll forgive you, _if_ you do something for me."

"Of course, anything."

"Sing for me." I blink, and I stare, and I blink again.

"You want me to sing," I say as a statement more than a question.

"You sang for us that one night a few weeks ago. How would this be any different?"

"Just because I sang one time doesn't mean I'm now completely comfortable with singing in front of you guys _all_ the time. You guys used peer pressure to force me into it that night." I'm almost whining right now. How attractive.

"And this time, I'm using my forgiveness to pressure you into it." I frown at Kili.

"You are evil." He lets out a humored laugh while shaking his head.

"Evelyn, you have a beautiful voice. There is no reason for you to feel self-conscious." My heart warms a bit at his compliment. I still feel a little nervous, but with the look that he's giving me right now, I can't find it in me to say no. I've already sang once, why not again?

"Okay," I whisper. Kili grins and shushes the other dwarves. I rack my brain for something to sing, something that wouldn't be too 'other-worldly' for them. I don't think me trying to sing "Bang Bang" would really make much sense to them (although their reactions would probably be worth it). Instead, I think of something slower and a little more romantic. It's cheesy, yes, but I can't help it, especially when Kili is looking at me with an expression that is making my stomach flutter. And that's when I think of the perfect one. With a small titter of my throat, I start the beginning of "Flowers in Your Hair" by The Lumineers.

_ When we were younger we thought_

_Everyone was on our side_

_Then we grew a little_

_And romanticized the time I saw_

_Flowers in your hair_

_Cause it takes a boy to live_

_But it takes a man to pretend he was there_

_So then we grew a little and knew a lot_

_And now we demonstrated it to the cops_

_And all the things we said_

_We were self-assured_

_Cause it's a long road to wisdom_

_But it's a short one_

_To being ignored_

_Be in my eyes_

_Be in my heart_

_Be in my eyes ai yai yai_

_Be in my heart _

At this point, I can't help but glance at Kili a bit, watching the corner of his mouth lift up ever so slightly, watching his dark brown eyes bore straight into mine. I smile through the words and turn my head away before I do something completely embarrassing, like forgetting the lyrics.

_So now I think that I could_

_Love you back_

_And I hope it's not too late cause you're so attractive_

_And the way you move_

_I won't close my eyes_

_Cause it takes a man to live_

_But it takes a woman to make him compromise_

_Be in my eyes_

_Be in my heart_

_Be in my eyes ai yai yai_

_Be in my heart _

The dwarves cheer quietly at the end, and I continue smiling, feeling relaxed and happy. It's amazing how a bath and some food can really change my mood. I look at Kili and my smile fades away almost instantly and that strange fluttering starts up again in my stomach. Is it love? I'm not sure. But whatever it is, it's stronger than a simple crush or liking. It's wonderful, the feeling. He's looking at me as well with a certain type of smile that's almost...flirtatious. In response, all I can do is blush and quickly look away, but not before giving him a small smile of my own.

The rest of the night is filled with laughter and singing, a much needed break from the silent and restless nights we've had for weeks now. It's not long before my head is on Kili's legs, his handsome, beaming face looking down at mine, and I'm singing another song, relishing in the familiarity that the music gives me of home.

But as much as I miss home, as terrifying and painful as the past month has been for me, I can't help but feel like this is where I belong. I belong with the company, I belong with Kili; here, with my family. I know we still have trying days ahead of us and that I still need to fulfill my task of keeping Thorin, Fili, and Kili safe. I know this, and I will do it with not a single regret.

Now, I can answer my own question that I've been asking myself since the goblin tunnels: yes, it is worth it. It's all been worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>Writing this chapter was seriously painful. I only had like twenty minutes each day to work on it since my job has been kicking my <em>ass<em> lately, but I'm getting a bit of a break starting Sunday so hopefully it won't take me as long to update! **

**I'm currently trying to draw a picture of Evelyn and I'm going to attempt to use the new watercolors that my uncle gave me, so hopefully that turns out okay... Idk though I'm not very experienced with water color at all so it might end up looking like crap. **

**If you're interested in eventually seeing the final product or if you want to make my day you could always, I don't know...follow my tumblr? My username is theleatherdiaries and it would make me very happy if you would check it out and follow and I'll probably end up following you back! **

**Thank you for reviewing, keep it up! And thanks for reading (: **


	15. Breakfast at Beorn's

Breakfast is large and satisfying. It's been weeks since I've had a proper meal that doesn't consist of dried meat and some sort of nuts I have never seen or tasted before. To be honest, I could care less if I never taste those nuts again. It's like eating a mix between a walnut and an almond, but dryer and almost tart. They leave a strange film in my mouth that no amount of water can get rid of, but, of course, I don't ever complain... _out loud_.

The food laid before us still lacks in the meat department which is a little bit of a disappointment, but there's plenty of eggs, fruit, sweet bread, and some sort of pastry that reminds me of a cinnamon bun, only flakier and not as soft. The same creamy drink is poured into our cups by Beorn and I greedily drink it down. I know that we won't be having any other meals like this after we leave, so I'm stuffing as much food as I can into my mouth for the time being.

"Are you actually tasting the food?" Fili asks incredulously. I grin at him and shrug.

"Hey, I'm eating as much as I can now. Who knows when we'll have another meal like this?" He seems to consider my words for a minute before grabbing even more food from the large platters and onto his own plate. We all sit at the table for nearly an hour, not letting any of the breakfast go to waste. When only a few crumbs litter the platters that were once piled high with food, the dwarves lean back and let it all settle, some of them getting up from their chairs and nestling in the living area.

"Did you want to try out your bow?" Kili asks next to me. "We will not be leaving for another few hours."

"Sure," I reply enthusiastically, although, I'm a tad bit nervous. I really don't want to look like an idiot in front of Kili, but the chances of me shooting perfectly with my bow are incredibly slim. Like I said before, I'm used to compound bows, ones that are built for accuracy and precision with a plastic rest to keep the arrow in place when aiming. Traditional bows are so much more difficult.

Kili and I make our way to the backyard of Beorn's home which is a large, vast field. Horses and ponies graze on the grass while bunnies, squirrels, and other animals scurry about the yard. He leads me to a lone tree with a thick base, stopping several yards away from it. I just stand there for a minute, a bit hesitant to actually shoot.

"Well?" Kili asks with amusement. "Are you going to just stand here all day or are you going to shoot?" I let out a sigh, grabbing an arrow from the quiver resting on my back. The arrow is positioned, the string is pulled back so that my hand is just barely grazing my cheek, and my left eye is closed, allowing me to use my right eye to aim more accurately. I take a deep breath and I let go.

I'm happy to say, I didn't miss. But at the same time, the arrow is no where near where I wanted it to be. It hit the very right edge of the tree trunk instead of the middle.

"Well, you hit the tree," Kili says. I scoff and roll my eyes.

"I might have hit the tree, but it's not even close to the middle of the trunk."

"We can start with your stance then. You started off fine, but at the last minute you pivoted your front foot forward. Both feet need to be pointing this way," he instructs while motioning with his hands. I nod, although I was completely unaware of moving my foot. "I also noticed that you dip your head a bit too low when aiming and it might be the reason the arrow went so far from its target. Keep your back straight and your head up."

With another nod, I follow Kili's advice, making myself consciously aware of where my feet are pointing. It takes me a bit longer to ready myself, but Kili seems patient, an encouraging smile on his face the entire time. My eyebrows furrow in deep concentration and I think about the target, only the target, eventually letting my fingers slip from their tight hold on the string. It's so close this time, so close, but I miss the intended target once again. I let out a huff of frustration.

"No need to get angry, Evelyn. Your form was perfect that time and you were so close. Just give it another go."

I do as he says, shooting another arrow, and then another. By the fifth try, I finally hit the middle of the trunk, a victorious grin stretching across my lips.

"Finally! I did it!" I turn to Kili, his face mirroring my own.

"You got one, now keep going. I want to see you hit the middle at least four more times." So, for another hour, I continue to shoot arrow after arrow, most of them hitting the target much to my pleasure. Kili eventually has me shooting at other trees behind it and even at some thick branches hanging low from the ground.

"You're not so bad, you know," Kili says to me as we retrieve the arrows I had shot. "Much better than I expected."

"Really?" I ask as I yank an arrow from a rather thin looking tree. A noise of shock escapes me when I turn around to see Kili standing incredibly close to me.

"Absolutely," he breathes with a ghost of a smile. Images of two nights ago flash in my head, brought on by our proximity which allows me to really_ look_ at him. From here, I can see how is dark eyes swirl with a youthful innocence, how his dark stubble has grown over the past month, how his lips are set in a crooked smile, yet his eyes show a deep intensity that has my heart racing. I know I'm blushing because Kili's smile turns into a bit of a smirk. We are about as close as we were that night, faces inches apart. I had felt nervous then, but, now, I feel less nervous and more...wanting. I want to lean in and kiss him, or him to lean in and kiss me. I just want him.

Kili places his large hand on the side of my face, his thumb softly caressing my cheekbone. "You are beautiful," he whispers. My stomach is twisting and flipping in excitement at his words. He thinks I'm _beautiful_. All those slight feelings of doubt wash away within an instant. Not any part of me lacks even the smallest amount of confidence in his words; I know he means it, and that makes me so incredibly happy. Once again, we're both leaning in towards each other, my body thrumming in anticipation. Oh, how long I've been wanting to do this...

"There they are!"

_Is this a joke. _

Kili's eyes shut in frustration at the sound of Bofur's voice while I just let out a huff. Of course there would be an interruption! There's _always_ an interruption!

"We've got to get a move on you two!" I look at Kili awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to say.

"I, uh, guess we should probably get going then..." And with that I'm scrambling for my arrows, having every intention of running off to avoid the embarrassment of yet _another_ interruption. But just as I take the first few quick steps, I stop. The chances of Kili and I having a moment like this again any time soon are slim, not to mention that the most dangerous part of the journey, facing the dragon, has yet to come. What if we never get a chance like this again? I always tell myself to live for the moment, to fall asleep every night without any regrets-advice that I've been struggling with greatly since I arrived in Middle-Earth-and if I walk away now and something happens to either of us, I will regret it forever. It's time for me to man up and take control of my life for once. So, without further ado, I drop the bundle of arrows to the ground with a quick, "screw it," turning around towards the man I could very much be falling in love with and I kiss him. I kiss him fiercely and boldly, both hands gripping his scratchy cheeks and reveling in the absolute bliss that comes with my lips against his. I almost want to laugh at how completely taken aback Kili is by my move, but when nothing else happens, my moment of confidence and determination begins to dwindle a bit. However, instead of staying and waiting for Kili's reaction, I quickly break off the kiss, turn to grab the arrows off of the ground, and book it into Beorn's house, leaving behind a dumbfounded dwarf prince.

It's then that the embarrassment settles in.

_Oh, God, should I have done that? What if he didn't like it? What if he thinks I'm weird for kissing him like that? Was it too bold of me? What-_

"Everything alright, Evelyn?" I nearly jump at the sound of Bilbo's concerned voice, a few of the arrows in my arms clattering to the hardwood floor.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Everything's just fine..." I trail off distractedly. Bilbo doesn't look convinced at all; in fact, he looks a bit suspicious. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," the hobbit responds with a wave of his hand. He has an amused grin on his face, one that makes me narrow my eyes.

"No, I want to know," I push. Bilbo almost nearly smirks at me, something I didn't think the hobbit was capable of doing considering his more 'polite' demeanor.

"Your secret is safe with me," he says, pointing his finger to the window which I now realize gives a full view of the exact spot Kili and I were in. My mouth drops open. _Shit._

"Th-that, no, that was...it was...I mean..." I poorly try to make up an excuse, but Bilbo only shakes his head in amusement.

"Please, Evelyn, it's alright. I'm happy for you." I can't bring myself to smile, instead I sigh dejectedly.

"Don't speak too soon," I say quietly. What I did was completely surprising for both myself and Kili, but his lack of response seemed to snap me out of my confidence and I finally realized what I was actually doing. I can't believe I _kissed_ him. Me, inexperienced, awkward Evelyn, kissed _Kili._ This place has definitely changed me.

The sound of Kili opening the back door has me nearly sprinting out of the room and into the large living area where the rest of the company make their last minute preparations. Thorin, Gandalf, and Beorn converse quietly in the corner. By the way Thorin scrunches up his face is annoyance, I can tell that he is not pleased with what the wizard and skin-changer have to say. From what I've gathered so far, we are to make way for Mirkwood forest. Beorn's voice had held unease at the mention of it, leading me to believe that it is not the friendliest of places. The thought of more danger has my stomach clenching uncomfortably, but I know I'd be an idiot to hope that there won't be any. I'm nervous to continue on, I'm nervous about what still awaits us on the journey. The image of Thorin lying motionless on a battlefield, of Fili and Kili dying to protect him, it still plagues my mind. What I can gather from this premonition is that there is a very good possibility this may all end in battle. And if it does, may God give me strength and courage, because the thought alone numbs my body with terror.

"What's got you thinkin' so deep, lass?" Bofur asks. I drop the anxious look on my face and try to appear at least somewhat put together.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about the journey ahead and all." The toy maker smiles ruefully and places a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about a thing, Evelyn. It'll be over soon and we will have our mountain back." If only I could truly believe his words.

My eyes catch the hunched forms of Kili and Fili who are talking quietly amongst themselves on the opposite side of the room. I wonder if Kili told his brother about what I did...Oh, God. I can only pray that Fili will keep it quiet. Trying to swallow down my anxiety, I train my attention on the small leather pack that Beorn had given to me, placing the small bags of dried fruit and nuts and biscuits he had also supplied us with inside. I also place the large clothing that Beorn had let me wear last night while my own were being washed into the bag. Beorn had insisted I keep them after trying to hand the shirt and pants back, telling me they might be of use in the future. Of course, I didn't object.

My bag is ready and my arrows are all placed neatly inside my quiver just as Thorin orders us to move out. Fifteen ponies and a large horse await us outside, another generous offer of Beorn, although he makes it quite clear that we must leave them before we enter Mirkwood. I look around with my lip caught between my teeth, seeing if there is some sort of raised platform I could use to help myself up onto the black and white pony that stands before me. To my luck, I notice a tall tree stump and waste no time in leading the pony towards the stump and clambering none too graceful onto the animal. The lack of a saddle makes it almost impossible to sit comfortably, not to mention, I have nothing to hold onto other than the mane of the pony. _This is sure to be a fun ride. _

I stay in that spot for a while. I'll admit, yes, I may be avoiding Kili. I took a risk in doing what I did and he barely responded. How can I go up to him and pretend like nothing happened or that I may or may not feel the tiniest bit hurt that he didn't do anything? This is all so messed up and weird and thinking about it is making my head hurt.

Ten minutes later, once everyone is settled on their ponies, we make for Mirkwood. I trial behind a bit, wanting to be away from the others for a little while. I focus my attention and energy in taking in the landscape, the rolling hills and vibrant green grass that stretches on for miles. Small patches of purple, white, blue, and pink flowers dot the vast fields with a few trees here and there that stand there all by their lonesome. It's wonderful and beautiful, a sight that cannot be so easily seen back home. Home. Can I even call it that anymore? Can I call a place where I felt so lonely, so lost, home? No. A home is wherever the people you love are, wherever your family is, your true family. I had nothing back there, no mother, barely even a father, no life, no adventure or excitement, no reason for living. But here I do; here, I have a purpose and people who I can call family. No, that place is no longer my home.

My home is with these dwarves, with Kili. That is, if Kili will have me. Ugh, even the thought of his name has my mind fluttering with questions and strange emotions.

I look up and immediately spot Kili riding next to his brother. Fili hands Kili a water skin, a small, affectionate smile on his face and my heart warms at the brotherly love between the two. The blonde dwarf must have said something funny, because Kili lets out a laugh and the two continue to enjoy each other's company, me watching with a faint grin. A serious expression comes over Fili's face and he says something lowly which has Kili's body stiffening every so slightly. I frown slightly. Kili hangs his head a bit and Fili responds by placing his hand on his brother's back, patting it reassuringly.

I continue to watch them for several more minutes until the distant sound of a howl reaches my ears causing my heart to immediately pound in my chest. _Not again_...

I'm not the only one who heard this time. The entire company stiffens at the noise, heads whipping around wildly for any sign of Azog and his followers. Gandalf and Thorin instruct us to move faster, so we all pat our ponies firmly until they are nearly galloping across the flat, grassy plain. Talking ceases between the dwarves. All of us focus solely on the approaching line of thick trees that mark the forest edge of Mirkwood. My legs ache something terrible and my back hurts a bit from hunching over for so long and the galloping is only making it worse. And I'm riding bare-back.

It seems to take a lifetime before we reach the entrance to the forest. From far way, it seemed green and normal looking, but up close, it looks absolutely sinister. The trees are grey and gnarled, giving off the appearance of thick vines, snaking around each other in mangled choke holds and coils. Black patches streak across the dying bark in a sickly manner. The very scent of the forest seems to heed a warning of danger and caution. It doesn't smell like a forest at all. My eyes stare at the unwelcoming trees with an anxious wariness as I slide off of the pony and let it trot back to Beorn's along with it's companions.

"This forest feels...sick," Bilbo comments, his expression mirroring my own. "As if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?"

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south," Gandalf responds. I notice that he has yet to send his horse back. Thorin notices too and gives the wizard a calculating look.

"You're not coming," he states. Gandalf looks at all of us, clearly seeming a bit torn at the moment.

"No," he finally answers. "I have business in the south that I must attend to." A few of the dwarves begin to grumble and complain and even I fight back disappointment. Surely with Gandalf, we would be able to get through the forest with little to no issue as he seems to know much about it, but I fear what we may get ourselves into without his wisdom and knowledge to guide us.

"Do you really have to go?" I ask, my voice on the verge of whining.

"I'm afraid so. Trust me when I say, I would not leave unless I absolutely had to. Fear not, Evelyn," the wizard says as he sees the worry in my eyes. "You are stronger and much more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. Whatever task the Valar has entrusted to you, I know you will succeed."

I manage a weak smile and thank the wizard for all he's done for me and for his encouraging words. God knows I need them. He turns to Bilbo and they begin to speak lowly which I take as my cue to leave and let them say their goodbyes. Fili and Kili stand side by side, their gazes fixed on the ominous, darkness that is Mirkwood. Honestly, it reminds me of the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter a bit. A small opening in the colorless trees shows a worn down and barely visible pathway, the Elven Road I believe Gandalf said it is. As I stare further into the black abyss of Mirkwood, the uneasiness in my stomach intensifies. I probably wouldn't mind the two hundred mile journey around if it meant I didn't have to step foot in this place.

I can feel eyes boring into the side of my face, so I turn my head left to meet the eyes of Kili. He stares at me with an expression I can't name, and I force myself to look away, unable to stop the feeling of dejection in my chest. He seemed interested before, I mean, he called me beautiful for God's sake! But then why did he seem so...hesitant when I kissed him? I really just want to scream in frustration right now. Why does this all have to be so effing complicated?

"Straight through the forest is your way," Gandalf declares loudly. "Do not stray from the path. If you do, you will most likely never find it again. Be wary of the atmosphere of the forest. An enchantment lies upon the air and the waters. Do not let it stray you from the path." And, with one more farewell, Gandalf gallops away, his tall, grey form becoming smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Let's get a move on," Thorin orders before taking the first step into the trees. Slowly, the rest of the company follows, but I stay frozen on the spot, my eyes fixed on the wizard riding away from us and trying to muster up the courage to enter the foreboding forest. A hand rests on my shoulder and squeezes in a comforting manner. I turn to face Fili, knowing right away that it would be him. His face says it all and I mentally curse for the wetness that glazes over my mismatched eyes.

"I know, Fili, I know," I let out. "Your brother just confuses the hell out of me."

"And he would say the same about you," the blonde dwarf says with a sad smile. "But, perhaps, now is not the time to think much on it. Dangers awaits us still." I don't even bother masking the fear I'm feeling. Of course I knew more danger would be coming, but hearing him say it out loud seems to only fuel my anxiety more. Fili notices immediately and puts his free hand on my other shoulder, bringing me to him in a comforting manner, a reassurance.

"I still stand by what I said to you, Evelyn. I, my brother, the others, we will do everything in our power to protect you should we run into that danger." I swallow hard, fighting back the words that threaten to tumble from my mouth. _It's not me who needs protecting,_ I want to say. But instead I nod and wrap my arms around Fili's neck, allowing myself to relish in the embrace. The feeling of comfort, of hugging a loved one, family, is absolutely foreign to me, and it's now that I realize what exactly I was missing out on. It's a wonderful feeling, being wrapped up in the arms of someone you care about, who cares about you.

"Thank you, Fili," I whisper, tightening my arms around him.

"Anything for family, namadith." I break way from the blonde dwarf and look up at him curiously.

"What does that mean?" Fili's smile widens, a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"Little sister."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! I know the chapter is kinda short (all of them are, really). This chapter was harder for me to write, especially since the semester just started up again last week (yay...) and I got a new job so my time's been limited. <strong>

**But omg, can I just say I'm taking two of the coolest classes ever. The one is Philosophy of Love and Sexuality and the other is Paranormal Investigation like they sound so weird, but they're so interesting too. My professor for the paranormal class is pretty strange though; he believes that there are other dimensions like a parallel universe and that UFO's are some sort of hallucination created by entities in these other dimensions and it's all really...weird. But cool at the same time. I'm not sure how much of that stuff I believe though... **

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews and keep 'em up! Don't hesitate to give me a little friendly criticism or point out anything that doesn't make sense! **

**Thanks for reading (: **

**Quick question: Do any of you listen to Gregory Alan Isakov? I started listening to him and, ugh, I love his music. **


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